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GIFT  OF 
A.    F.    Morrison 


DOGS 

AND   ALL   ABOUT  THEM 


BY 

ROBERT  LEIGHTON 


II 
ASSISTED  BY 


EMINENT  AUTHORITIES  ON  THE 
VARIOUS  BREEDS 


WITH   SEVENTEEN    FULL-PAGE  PLATES 


CASSELL  AND  COMPANY,  LTD. 

London,  New  York,  Toronto  and  Melbourne 

1910 


GIFT  01" 


ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


PREFACE 

THE  popularity  of  the  dog  as  a  companion,  as  a 
guardian  of  property,  as  an  assistant  in  the  pursuit  of 
game,  and  as  the  object  of  a  pleasurable  hobby,  has 
never  been  so  great  as  it  is  at  the  present  time.  More 
dogs  are  kept  in  this  country  than  ever  there  formerly 
were,  and  they  are  more  skilfully  bred,  more  tenderly 
treated,  and  cared  for  with  a  more  solicitous  pride  than 
was  the  case  a  generation  ago.  There  are  fewer  mongrels 
in  our  midst,  and  the  family  dog  has  become  a  respect- 
able member  of  society.  Two  million  dog  licences  were 
taken  out  in  the  British  Isles  in  the  course  of  1909.  In 
that  year,  too,  as  many  as  906  separate  dog  shows  were 
sanctioned  by  the  Kennel  Club  and  held  in  various  parts 
of  the  United  Kingdom.  At  the  present  time  there  exist 
no  fewer  than  156  specialist  clubs  established  for  the 
purpose  of  watching  over  the  interests  of  the  different 
breeds. 

Recognising  this  advance  in  our  national  love  of  dogs 
and  the  growing  demand  for  information  on  their  distin- 
guishing characteristics,  I  am  persuaded  that  there  is 
ample  room  for  a  concise  and  practical  handbook  on 
matters  canine.  In  preparing  the  present  volume,  I  have 
drawn  abundantly  upon  the  contents  of  my  larger  and 
more  expensive  New  Book  of  The  Dog,  and  I  desire  to 
acknowledge  my  obligations  to  the  eminent  experts  who 
assisted  me  in  the  production  of  the  earlier  work  and 
whose  contributions  I  have  further  utilised  in  these  pages. 
I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  W.  J.  Stubbs  for  his  clear  exposition 
of  the  points  of  the  Bulldog,  to  Colonel  Claude  Cane  for 

iii 

M107SG7 


iv  PREFACE 

his  description  of  the  Sporting  Spaniels,  to  Lady  Algernon 
Gordon  Lennox  for  her  authoritative  paragraphs  on  the 
Pekinese,  to  Mr.  Desmond  O'Connell  for  his  history  of  the 
Fox-terrier,  and  to  Mr.  Walter  S.  Glynn,  Mr.  Fred  Gresham, 
Major  J.  H.  Bailey,  Mr.  E.  B.  Joachim  and  other  specialists 
whose  aid  I  have  enlisted. 

In  the  following  chapters  the  varieties  of  the  dog  are 
classified  in  the  order  of  (i)  Non-Sporting  and  Utility 
breeds,  (2)  Hounds,  Gundogs  and  other  Sporting  breeds, 
(3)  the  Terriers,  (4)  Toy  and  Miniature  breeds. 

ROBERT  LEIGHTON. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

1.  GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  DOG  .        .        .        .  i 

2.  THE  ENGLISH  MASTIFF 10 

3.  THE  BULLDOG       .        .        .        .        ...        .  17 

4.  THE  ST.  BERNARD         .        .        .        /       .        .  32 

5.  THE  NEWFOUNDLAND    .        .        .        .*        .        .38 

6.  THE  GREAT  DANE.        .        .        .        .        .        .  44 

7.  THE  DALMATIAN    ...        »       .        .        .  49 

8.  THE  COLLIE  .        .       .        .       .       .       .        .  53 

9.  THE  OLD  ENGLISH  SHEEPDOG      ./      .        .        .  60 

10.  THE  CHOW  CHOW  .        .        .        .       .  -     .        .  67 

11.  THE  POODLE 70 

12.  THE  SCHIPPERKE 77 

13.  THE  BLOODHOUND         .        .        .        .        .        .  80 

14.  THE  OTTERHOUND         .        .        .        .        .        .  86 

15.  THE  IRISH  WOLFHOUND        .        ...        .  90 

16.  THE  DEERHOUND 95 

17.  THE  BORZOI,  OR  RUSSIAN  WOLFHOUND         .        .  101 

18.  THE  GREYHOUND  .        .        .                .        .        ,  108 

19.  THE  WHIPPET        .        .        .'        .        .        .        .  113 

20.  THE  FOXHOUND     .        .        .        .        .        .        .  118 

21.  THE  HARRIER  AND  THE  BEAGLE  ....  123 

22.  THE  POINTER 127 

23.  THE  SETTERS 132 

24.  THE  RETRIEVERS 139 

25.  THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL 148 

26.  THE  BASSET-HOUND 172 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

27.  THE  DACHSHUND  176 

28.  THE  OLD  WORKING  TERRIER        ....  185 

29.  THE  WHITE  ENGLISH  TERRIER     ....  191 

30.  THE  BLACK  AND  TAN  TERRIER     ....  195 

31.  THE  BULL-TERRIER     ...       .       .        .        .        .  198 

32.  THE  SMOOTH  FOX-TERRIER  .        .  .  203 

33.  THE  WIRE-HAIR  FOX-TERRIER     .        .  .  212 

34.  THE  AIREDALE  TERRIER       .        .'      .        .        .  219 

35.  THE  BEDLINGTON  TERRIER   .        .'      .        .        .  226 

36.  THE  IRISH  TERRIER      .        .        .        .        .        .  229 

37.  THE  WELSH  TERRIER    .        .       .        .        .        .  236 

38.  THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER        .        .        .        .        .  240 

39.  THE  WEST  HIGHLAND  WHITE  TERRIER       .        .  246 

40.  THE  DANDIE  DINMONT 253 

41.  THE  SKYE  AND  CLYDESDALE  TERRIERS        .        .  258 

42.  THE  YORKSHIRE  TERRIER 266 

43.  THE  POMERANIAN 271 

44.  THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       ....  278 

45.  THE  PEKINESE  AND  JAPANESE      ....  288 

46.  THE  MALTESE  DOG  AND  THE  PUG        .        .        .  296 

47.  THE  BRUSSELS  GRIFFON 301 

48.  THE  MINIATURE  BREEDS 305 

49.  PRACTICAL  MANAGEMENT       .        .        ...        .  310 

50.  BREEDING  AND  WHELPING 316 

51.  SOME  COMMON  AILMENTS  OF  THE  DOG  AND  THEIR 

TREATMENT 325. 

52.  THE  DOG  AND  THE  LAW 337 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE    SMOOTH- COATED    ST.  BERNARD,    CH.    THE    VIKING 

(From   the  painting  by   Lilian   Cheviot.)         Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

MR.  AND  MRS.   ARTHUR   MAYOR'S    BULLDOG,  CH.  SILENT 

DUCHESS      v        26 

MR.     GEORGE     SINCLAIR'S     ST.     BERNARD,     CH.     LORD 

MONTGOMERY          ...;  '     36 

MRS.    VALE    NICOLAS'S    NEWFOUNDLAND,     CH.    SHELTON 

VIKING         42 

MRS.    H.    HORSFALL'S    GREAT    DANE,    CH.     VIOLA    OF 

REDGRAVE  .,.  '     »..        ...       •„.."'     ...        ...        ...        48 

MR.   R.  A.  TAIT'S  COLLIE,  CH.  WISHAW  LEADER        ...        58 

BLOODHOUND,  CH.  CHATLEY  BEAUFORT.    BRED  AND  OWNED 

BY  MRS.  G.  A.  OLIPHANT,  SHKEWTON,  WILTS.       ...        80 

MRS.  ARMSTRONG'S  DEERHOUND,  CH.  TALISMAN 96 

MRS.  AITCHESON'S   BORZOI,   CH.  STRAWBERRY  KING       ...      106 

MR.    H.    REGINALD    COOKE'S    RETRIEVER,  CH.  WORSLEY 

BESS 142 

THREE  GENERATIONS  OF  MR.  R.  DE  C.  PEELE'S  BLUE  ROAN 
COCKER  SPANIELS,  CH.  BEN  BOWDLER  (FATHER),  CH. 
BOB  BOWDLER  (SON),  AND  CH.  DIXON  BOWDLER 
(GRANDSON) 168 

FOX-TERRIERS: 

1.  MRS.  J.   H.   BROWN'S,   CH.  CAPTAIN  DOUBLE       ...      208 

2.  MR.  J.   C.   TINNE'S,   CH.  THE  SYLPH          208 

3.  MR.    T.    J.    STEPHEN'S    WIRE-HAIR,    CH.    SYLVAN 

RESULT 208 

MR.  FRED.  W.  BREAKELL'S  IRISH  TERRIER,  CH.  KILLARNEY 

SPORT          234 

MRS.   SPENCER'S  DANDIE   DINMONT,   CH.   BRAW    LAD     ...      240 
ATYPICAL  AIREDALE  HEAD 240 

MR.    W.    L.    MCCANDLISH'S     SCOTTISH     TERRIER,    EMS 

COSMETIC 240 

vii 


viii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING  PAGE 
COL,    MALCOLM'S    WEST    HIGHLAND    WHITE    TERRIERS 

SONNY  AND  SARAH  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...       252 

MlSS      E.    McCHEANE's      SiCYE      TERRIERS,      CH.      FAIRFIELD 

DIAMOND  AND   CH.   WOLVERLEY  CHUMMIE     ...        ..«,      252 

TOY  DOGS: 

Miss  STEVENS'  TYPICAL  JAPANESE  PUPPY        288 

MRS.  VALE   NICOLAS'S    POMERANIAN,    CH.   THE    SABLE 

MITE        288 

Miss  M.  A.  ELAND'S  POMERANIAN,  CH.  MARLAND  KING  288 
LADY  HULTON'S  BLENHEIM,  CH.  JOY  ...  ,.,..  ...  288 
THE  HON.  MRS.  LYTTON'S  KING  CHARLES,  CH.  THE 

SERAPH 288 

TOY  DOGS  : 

1.  MRS.  GRESHAM'S  PUG,  CH.  GRINDLEY  KING         ..f      304 

2.  MRS.  T.  WHALEY'S  BRUSSELS  GRIFFON,  GLENARTNEY 

SPORT 304 

3.  PEKINESE,  CH.   CHU-ERH  OF  ALDERBOURNE  ...      304 


DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

CHAPTER   I 
GENERAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG 

THERE  is  no  incongruity  in  the  idea  that  in  the  very  earliest 
period  of  man's  habitation  of  this  world  he  made  a  friend 
and  companion  of  some  sort  of  aboriginal  representative 
of  our  modern  dog,  and  that  in  return  for  its  aid  in  protecting 
him  from  wilder  animals,  and  in  guarding  his  sheep  and 
goats,  he  gave  it  a  share  of  his  food,  a  corner  in  his  dwelling, 
and  grew  to  trust  it  and  care  for  it.  Probably  the  animal 
was  originally  little  else  than  an  unusually  gentle  jackal, 
or  an  ailing  wolf  driven  by  its  companions  from  the  wild 
marauding  pack  to  seek  shelter  in  alien  surroundings.  One 
can  well  conceive  the  possibility  of  the  partnership  beginning 
in  the  circumstance  of  some  helpless  whelps  being  brought 
home  by  the  early  hunters  to  be  tended  and  reared  by  the 
women  and  children.  The  present-day  savage  of  New  Guinea 
and  mid-Africa  does  not,  as  a  rule,  take  the  trouble  to  tame 
and  train  an  adult  wild  animal  for  his  own  purposes,  and  primi- 
tive man  was  surely  equally  indifferent  to  the  questionable 
advantage  of  harbouring  a  dangerous  guest.  But  a  litter 
of  woolly  whelps  introduced  into  the  home  as  playthings 
for  the  children  would  grow  to  regard  themselves,  and  be 
regarded,  as  members  of  the  family,  and  it  would  soon  be 
found  that  the  hunting  instincts  of  the  maturing  animal 
were  of  value  to  his  captors.  The  savage  master,  treading 
the  primeval  forests  in  search  of  food,  would  not  fail  to  recog- 
nise the  helpfulness  of  a  keener  nose  and  sharper  eyes  even 
than  his  own  unsullied  senses,  while  the  dog  in  his  turn  would 
B 


2...  ...DOGS.  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

find* a" 'better  sheltef-m  association  with  man  than  if  he  were 
fr 'hferovta. •account.  Thus  mutual  benefit  would 
Jrt  some  kind.'ofc  <acit  agreement  of  partnership,  and 
through  the  generations  the  wild  wolf  or  jackal  would  gradu- 
ally become  gentler,  more  docile,  and  tractable,  and  the 
dreaded  enemy  of  the  flock  develop  into  the  trusted  guardian 
of  the  fold. 

In  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world  traces  of  an  indigenous 
dog  family  are  found,  the  only  exceptions  being  the  West 
Indian  Islands,  Madagascar,  the  eastern  islands  of  the  Malayan 
Archipelago,  New  Zealand,  and  the  Polynesian  Islands,  where 
there  is  no  sign  that  any  dog,  wolf,  or  fox  has  existed  as  a 
true  aboriginal  animal.  In  the  ancient  Oriental  lands,  and 
generally  among  the  early  Mongolians,  the  dog  remained 
savage  and  neglected  for  centuries,  prowling  in  packs,  gaunt 
and  wolf-like,  as  it  prowls  to-day  through  the  streets  and 
under  the  walls  of  every  Eastern  city.  No  attempt  was  made 
to  allure  it  into  human  companionship  or  to  improve  it  into 
docility.  It  is  not  until  we  come  to  examine  the  records 
of  the  higher  civilisations  of  Assyria  and  Egypt  that  we 
discover  any  distinct  varieties  of  canine  form. 

Assyrian  sculptures  depict  two  such,  a  Greyhound  and  a 
Mastiff,  the  latter  described  in  the  tablets  as  "  the  chained-up, 
mouth-opening  dog  "  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  was  used  as  a  watch- 
dog ;  and  several  varieties  are  referred  to  in  the  cuneiform 
inscriptions  preserved  in  the  British  Museum.  The  Egyptian 
monuments  of  about  3000  B.C.  present  many  forms  of  the 
domestic  dog,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  among  the 
ancient  Egyptians  it  was  as  completely  a  companion  of  man, 
as  much  a  favourite  in  the  house,  and  a  help  in  the  chase, 
as  it  is  among  ourselves  at  present.  In  the  city  of  Cynopolis 
it  was  reverenced  next  to  the  sacred  jackal,  and  on  the  death 
of  a  dog  the  members  of  the  household  to  which  he  had 
belonged  carefully  shaved  their  whole  bodies,  and  religiously 
abstained  from  using  the  food,  of  whatever  kind,  which 
happened  to  be  in  the  house  at  the  time.  Among  the  distinct 


GENERAL  HISTORY  3 

breeds  kept  in  Egypt  there  was  a  massive  wolf-dog,  a  large, 
heavily-built  hound  with  drooping  ears  and  a  pointed  head, 
at  least  two  varieties  of  Greyhound  used  for  hunting  the 
gazelle,  and  a  small  breed  of  terrier  or  Turnspit,  with  short, 
crooked  legs.  This  last  appears  to  have  been  regarded  as  an 
especial  household  pet,  for  it  was  admitted  into  the  living 
rooms  and  taken  as  a  companion  for  walks  out  of  doors.  It 
was  furnished  with  a  collar  of  leaves,  or  of  leather,  or  precious 
metal  wrought  into  the  form  of  leaves,  and  when  it  died 
it  was  embalmed.  Every  town  throughout  Egypt  had  its 
place  of  interment  for  canine  mummies. 

The  dog  was  not  greatly  appreciated  in  Palestine,  and  in 
both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  it  is  commonly  spoken  of 
with  scorn  and  contempt  as  an  "unclean  beast."  Even  the 
familiar  reference  to  the  Sheepdog  in  the  Book  of  Job— 
"  But  now  they  that  are  younger  than  I  have  me  in  derision, 
whose  fathers  I  would  have  disdained  to  set  with  the  dogs  of  my 
flock  " — is  not  without  a  suggestion  of  contempt,  and  it  is 
significant  that  the  only  biblical  allusion  to  the  dog  as  a 
recognised  companion  of  man  occurs  in  the  apocryphal  Book 
of  Tobit  (v.  16),  "  So  they  went  forth  both,  and  the  young  man's 
dog  with  them." 

The  pagan  Greeks  and  Romans  had  a  kindlier  feeling  for 
dumb  animals  than  had  the  Jews.  Their  hounds,  like  their 
horses,  were  selected  with  discrimination,  bred  with  care, 
and  held  in  high  esteem,  receiving  pet  names ;  and  the 
literatures  of  Greece  and  Rome  contain  many  tributes  to  the 
courage,  obedience,  sagacity,  and  affectionate  fidelity  of  the 
dog.  The  Phoenicians,  too,  were  unquestionably  lovers 
of  the  dog,  quick  to  recognise  the  points  of  special  breeds. 
In  their  colony  in  Carthage,  during  the  reign  of  Sardanapalus, 
they  had  already  possessed  themselves  of  the  Assyrian  Mastiff, 
which  they  probably  exported  to  far-off  Britain,  as  they  are 
said  to  have  exported  the  Water  Spaniel  to  Ireland  and  to 
Spain. 

It  is  a  significant  circumstance  when  we  come  to  consider 


4  DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

the  probable  origin  of  the  dog,  that  there  are  indications  of 
his  domestication  at  such  early  periods  by  so  many  peoples 
in  different  parts  of  the  world.  As  we  have  seen,  dogs  were 
more  or  less  subjugated  and  tamed  by  primitive  man,  by  the 
Assyrians,  Egyptians,  Phoenicians,  Greeks,  and  Romans, 
as  also  by  the  ancient  barbaric  tribes  of  the  western  hemi- 
sphere. The  important  question  now  arises :  Had  all  these 
dogs  a  common  origin  in  a  definite  parent  stock,  or  did  they 
spring  from  separate  and  unrelated  parents  ? 

Half  a  century  ago  it  was  believed  that  all  the  evidence 
which  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  problem  pointed 
to  an  independent  origin  of  the  dog.  Youatt,  writing  in 
1845,  argued  that  "  this  power  of  tracing  back  the  dog  to  the 
very  earliest  periods  of  history,  and  the  fact  that  he  then 
seemed  to  be  as  sagacious,  as  faithful,  and  as  valuable  as  at 
the  present  day,  strongly  favours  the  opinion  that  he  was 
descended  from  no  inferior  and  comparatively  worthless 
animal ;  and  that  he  was  not  the  progeny  of  the  wolf,  the 
jackal,  or  the  fox,  but  was  originally  created,  somewhat  as 
we  now  find  him,  the  associate  and  friend  of  man." 

When  Youatt  wrote,  most  people  believed  that  the  world 
was  only  six  thousand  years  old,  and  that  species  were  origin- 
ally created  and  absolutely  unchangeable.  Lyell's  dis- 
coveries in  geology,  however,  overthrew  the  argument  of  the 
earth's  chronology  and  of  the  antiquity  of  man,  and  Darwin's 
theory  of  evolution  entirely  transformed  the  accepted  beliefs 
concerning  the  origin  of  species  and  the  supposed  invariability 
of  animal  types. 

The  general  superficial  resemblance  between  the  fox  and 
many  of  our  dogs,  might  well  excuse  the  belief  in  a  relationship. 
Gamekeepers  are  often  very  positive  that  a  cross  can  be 
obtained  between  a  dog  fox  and  a  terrier  bitch  ;  but  cases 
in  which  this  connection  is  alleged  must  be  accepted  with 
extreme  caution.  The  late  Mr.  A.  D.  Bartlett,  who  was  for 
years  the  superintendent  of  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  London, 
studied  this  question  with  minute  care,  and  as  a  result  of 


GENERAL  HISTORY  5 

experiments  and  observations  he  }x>sitively  affirmed  that 
he  had  never  met  with  one  well-authenticated  instance  of  a 
hybrid  dog  and  fox.  Mr.  Bartlett's  conclusions  are  incon- 
testable. However  much  in  appearance  the  supposed  dog-fox 
may  resemble  the  fox,  there  are  certain  opposing  characteris- 
tics and  structural  differences  which  entirely  dismiss  the 
theory  of  relationship. 

One  thing  is  certain,  that  foxes  do  not  breed  in  confinement, 
except  in  very  rare  instances.  The  silver  fox  of  North  America 
is  the  only  species  recorded  to  have  bred  in  the  Zoological 
Gardens  of  London  ;  the  European  fox  has  never  been  known 
to  breed  in  captivity.  Then,  again,  the  fox  is  not  a  sociable 
animal.  We  never  hear  of  foxes  uniting  in  a  pack,  as  do  the 
wolves,  the  jackals,  and  the  wild  dogs.  Apart  from  other 
considerations,  a  fox  may  be  distinguished  from  a  dog,  without 
being  seen  or  touched,  by  its  smell.  No  one  can  produce  a 
dog  that  has  half  the  odour  of  Reynard,  and  this  odour  the 
dog-fox  would  doubtless  possess  were  its  sire  a  fox-dog  or  its 
dam  a  vixen. 

Whatever  may  be  said  concerning  the  difference  existing 
between  dogs  and  foxes  will  not  hold  good  in  reference  to 
dogs,  wolves,  and  jackals.  The  wolf  and  the  jackal  are  so 
much  alike  that  the  only  appreciable  distinction  is  that  of 
size,  and  so  closely  do  they  resemble  many  dogs  in  general 
appearance,  structure,  habits,  instincts,  and  mental  endow- 
ments that  no  difficulty  presents  itself  in  regarding  them  as 
being  of  one  stock.  Wolves  and  jackals  can  be,  and  have 
repeatedly  been,  tamed.  Domestic  dogs  can  become,  and 
again  and  again  do  become,  wild,  even  consorting  with  wolves, 
interbreeding  with  them,  assuming  their  gregarious  habits, 
and  changing  the  characteristic  bark  into  a  dismal  wolf-like 
howl.  The  wolf  and  the  jackal  when  tamed  answer  to  their 
master's  call,  wag  their  tails,  lick  his  hands,  crouch,  jump 
round  him  to  be  caressed,  and  throw  themselves  on  their 
backs  in  submission.  When  in  high  spirits  they  run  round 
in  circles  or  in  a  figure  of  eight,  with  their  tails  between  their 


6     DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

legs.  Their  howl  becomes  a  business-like  bark.  They  smell 
at  the  tails  of  other  dogs  and  void  their  urine  sideways,  and 
lastly,  like  our  domestic  favourites,  however  refined  and 
gentlemanly  in  other  respects,  they  cannot  be  broken  of  the 
habit  of  rolling  on  carrion  or  on  animals  they  have  killed. 

This  last  habit  of  the  domestic  dog  is  one  of  the  surviving 
traits  of  his  wild  ancestry,  which,  like  his  habits  of  burying 
bones  or  superfluous  food,  and  of  turning  round  and  round  on 
a  carpet  as  if  to  make  a  nest  for  himself  before  lying  down, 
go  far  towards  connecting  him  in  direct  relationship  with 
the  wolf  and  the  jackal. 

The  great  multitude  of  different  breeds  of  the  dog  and  the 
vast  differences  in  their  size,  points,  and  general  appearance 
are  facts  which  make  it  difficult  to  believe  that  they  could 
have  had  a  common  ancestry.  One  thinks  of  the  difference 
between  the  Mastiff  and  the  Japanese  Spaniel,  the  Deerhound 
and  the  fashionable  Pomeranian,  the  St.  Bernard  and  the 
Miniature  Black  and  Tan  Terrier,  and  is  perplexed  in  con- 
templating the  possibility  of  their  having  descended  from  a 
common  progenitor.  Yet  the  disparity  is  no  greater  than 
that  between  the  Shire  horse  and  the  Shetland  pony,  the 
Shorthorn  and  the  Kerry  cattle,  or  the  Patagonian  and  the 
Pygmy ;  and  all  dog  breeders  know  how  easy  it  is  to  produce 
a  variety  in  type  and  size  by  studied  selection. 

In  order  properly  to  understand  this  question  it  is  necessary 
first  to  consider  the  identity  of  structure  in  the  wolf  and  the 
dog.  This  identity  of  structure  may  best  be  studied  in  a 
comparison  of  the  osseous  system,  or  skeletons,  of  the  two 
animals,  which  so  closely  resemble  each  other  that  their 
transposition  would  not  easily  be  detected. 

The  spine  of  the  dog  consists  of  seven  vertebrae  in  the  neck, 
thirteen  in  the  back,  seven  in  the  loins,  three  sacral  vertebrae, 
and  twenty  to  twenty-two  in  the  tail.  In  both  the  dog  and 
the  wolf  there  are  thirteen  pairs  of  ribs,  nine  true  and  four 
false.  Each  has  forty-two  teeth.  They  both  have  five  front 
and  four  hind  toes,  while  outwardly  the  common  wolf  has 


GENERAL  HISTORY  7 

so  much  the  appearance  of  a  large,  bare-boned  dog,  that  a 
popular  description  of  the  one  would  serve  for  the  other. 

Nor  are  their  habits  different.  The  wolf's  natural  voice 
is  a  loud  howl,  but  when  confined  with  dogs  he  will  learn  to 
bark.  Although  he  is  carnivorous,  he  will  also  eat  vegetables, 
and  when  sickly  he  will  nibble  grass.  In  the  chase,  a  pack  of 
wolves  will  divide  into  parties,  one  following  the  trail  of  the 
quarry,  the  other  endeavouring  to  intercept  its  retreat,  exer- 
cising a  considerable  amount  of  strategy,  a  trait  which  is 
exhibited  by  many  of  our  sporting  dogs  and  terriers  when 
hunting  in  teams. 

A  further  important  point  of  resemblance  between  the 
Canis  lupus  and  the  Canis  familiaris  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
period  of  gestation  in  both  species  is  sixty-three  days.  There 
are  from  three  to  nine  cubs  in  a  wolf's  litter,  and  these  are 
blind  for  twenty-one  days.  They  are  suckled  for  two  months, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  time  they  are  able  to  eat  half-digested 
flesh  disgorged  for  them  by  their  dam — or  even  their  sire. 

We  have  seen  that  there  is  no  authenticated  instance  of  a 
hybrid  between  the  dog  and  the  fox.  This  is  not  the  case 
with  the  dog  and  the  wolf,  or  the  dog  and  the  jackal,  all  of 
which  can  interbreed.  Moreover,  their  offspring  are  fertile. 
Pliny  is  the  authority  for  the  statement  that  the  Gauls  tied 
their  female  dogs  in  the  wood  that  they  might  cross  with 
wolves.  The  Eskimo  dogs  are  not  infrequently  crossed 
with  the  grey  Arctic  wolf,  which  they  so  much  resemble,  and 
the  Indians  of  America  were  accustomed  to  cross  their  half- 
wild  dogs  with  the  coyote  to  impart  greater  boldness  to  the 
breed.  Tame  dogs  living  in  countries  inhabited  by  the  jackal 
often  betray  the  jackal  strain  in  their  litters,  and  there  are 
instances  of  men  dwelling  in  lonely  outposts  of  civilisation 
being  molested  by  wolves  or  jackals  following  upon  the  trail 
of  a  bitch  in  season. 

These  facts  lead  one  to  refer  to  the  familiar  circumstance 
that  the  native  dogs  of  all  regions  approximate  closely  in  size, 
coloration,  form,  and  habit  to  the  native  wolf  of  those  regions. 


8  DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Of  this  most  important  circumstance  there  are  far  too  many 
instances  to  allow  of  its  being  looked  upon  as  a  mere  coinci- 
dence. Sir  John  Richardson,  writing  in  1829,  observed 
that  "  the  resemblance  between  the  North  American  wolves 
and  the  domestic  dog  of  the  Indians  is  so  great  that  the  size 
and  strength  of  the  wolf  seems  to  be  the  only  difference.  I 
have  more  than  once  mistaken  a  band  of  wolves  for  the  dogs 
of  a  party  of  Indians ;  and  the  howl  of  the  animals  of  both 
species  is  prolonged  so  exactly  in  the  same  key  that  even  the 
practised  ear  of  the  Indian  fails  at  times  to  discriminate 
between  them." 

As  the  Eskimo  and  Indian  dogs  resemble  the  North 
American  wolf,  so  the  dog  of  the  Hare  Indians,  a  very  different 
breed,  resembles  the  prairie  wolf.  Except  in  the  matter  of 
barking,  there  is  no  difference  whatever  between  the  black 
wolf-dog  of  the  Indians  of  Florida  and  the  wolves  of  the  same 
country.  The  same  phenomenon  is  seen  in  many  kinds  of 
European  dogs.  The  Shepherd  Dog  of  the  plains  of  Hungary 
is  white  or  reddish-brown,  has  a  sharp  nose,  short  erect  ears, 
shaggy  coat,  and  bushy  tail,  and  so  much  resembles  a  wolf 
that  Mr.  Paget,  who  gives  the  description,  says  he  has  known 
a  Hungarian  mistake  a  wolf  for  one  of  his  own  dogs.  Many 
of  the  dogs  of  Russia,  Lapland,  and  Finland  are  comparable 
with  the  wolves  of  those  countries.  Some  of  the  domestic 
dogs  of  Egypt,  both  at  the  present  day  and  in  the  condition  of 
mummies,  are  wolf-like  in  type,  and  the  dogs  of  Nubia  have 
the  closest  relation  to  a  wild  species  of  the  same  region,  which 
is  only  a  form  of  the  common  jackal.  Dogs,  it  may  again 
be  noted,  cross  with  the  jackal  as  well  as  with  wolves,  and  this 
is  frequently  the  case  in  Africa,  as,  for  example,  in  Bosjesmans, 
where  the  dogs  have  a  marked  resemblance  to  the  black- 
backed  jackal,  which  is  a  South  African  variety. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  one  incontrovertible  argu- 
ment against  the  lupine  relationship  of  the  dog  is  the  fact  that 
all  domestic  dogs  bark,  while  all  wild  Canidce  express  their 
feelings  only  by  howls.  But  the  difficulty  here  is  not  so 


GENERAL  HISTORY  9 

great  as  it  seems,  since  we  know  that  jackals,  wild  dogs,  and 
wolf  pups  reared  by  bitches  readily  acquire  the  habit.  On 
the  other  hand,  domestic  dogs  allowed  to  run  wild  forget  how 
to  bark,  while  there  are  some  which  have  not  yet  learned  so 
to  express  themselves. 

The  presence  or  absence  of  the  habit  of  barking  cannot, 
then,  be  regarded  as  an  argument  in  deciding  the  question 
concerning  the  origin  of  the  dog.  This  stumbling  block 
consequently  disappears,  leaving  us  in  the  position  of  agreeing 
with  Darwin,  whose  final  hypothesis  was  that  "it  is  highly 
probable  that  the  domestic  dogs  of  the  world  have  descended 
from  two  good  species  of  wolf  (C.  lupus  and  C.  latrans),  and 
from  two  or  three  other  doubtful  species  of  wolves — namely, 
the  European,  Indian,  and  North  African  forms ;  from  at 
least  one  or  two  South  American  canine  species  ;  from  several 
races  or  species  of  jackal ;  and  perhaps  from  one  or  more 
extinct  species  "  ;  and  that  the  blood  of  these,  in  some 
cases  mingled  together,  flows  in  the  veins  of  our  domestic 
breeds. 


CHAPTER    II 
THE   ENGLISH    MASTIFF 

OF  the  many  different  kinds  of  dogs  now  established  as  British, 
not  a  few  have  had  their  origin  in  other  lands,  whence  speci- 
mens have  been  imported  into  this  country,  in  course  of  time 
to  be  so  improved  by  selection  that  they  have  come  to  be 
commonly  accepted  as  native  breeds.  Some  are  protected 
from  the  claim  that  they  are  indigenous  by  the  fact  that  their 
origin  is  indicated  in  their  names.  No  one  would  pretend 
that  the  St.  Bernard  or  the  Newfoundland,  the  Spaniel  or  the 
Dalmatian,  are  of  native  breed.  They  are  alien  immigrants 
whom  we  have  naturalised,  as  we  are  naturalising  the  majestic 
Great  Dane,  the  decorative  Borzoi,  the  alert  Schipperke, 
and  the  frowning  Chow  Chow,  which  are  of  such  recent 
introduction  that  they  must  still  be  regarded  as  half-acclima- 
tised foreigners.  But  of  the  antiquity  of  the  Mastiff  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  He  is  the  oldest  of  our  British  dogs,  culti- 
vated in  these  islands  for  so  many  centuries  that  the  only 
difficulty  concerning  his  history  is  that  of  tracing  his  descent, 
and  discovering  the  period  when  he  was  not  familiarly  known. 
It  is  possible  that  the  Mastiff  owes  his  origin  to  some  remote 
ancestor  of  alien  strain.  The  Assyrian  kings  possessed  a  large 
dog  of  decided  Mastiff  type,  and  used  it  in  the  hunting  of 
lions.  It  is  supposed  by  many  students  that  the  breed  was 
introduced  into  early  Britain  by  the  adventurous  Phoenician 
traders  who,  in  the  sixth  century  B.C.,  voyaged  to  the  Scilly 
Islands  and  Cornwall  to  barter  their  own  commodities  in  ex- 
change for  the  useful  metals.  Knowing  the  requirements 
of  their  barbarian  customers,  these  early  merchants  from 

10 


THE  ENGLISH  MASTIFF  n 

Tyre  and  Sidon  are  believed  to  have  brought  some  of  the 
larger  pugnaces,  which  would  be  readily  accepted  by  the 
Britons  to  supplant,  or  improve,  their  courageous  but  under- 
sized fighting  dogs. 

In  Anglo-Saxon  times  every  two  villeins  were  required 
to  maintain  one  of  these  dogs  for  the  purpose  of  reducing  the 
number  of  wolves  and  other  wild  animals.  This  would 
indicate  that  the  Mastiff  was  recognised  as  a  capable  hunting 
dog ;  but  at  a  later  period  his  hunting  instincts  were  not 
highly  esteemed,  and  he  was  not  regarded  as  a  peril  to  pre- 
served game  ;  for  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  the  Forest  Laws, 
which  prohibited  the  keeping  of  all  other  breeds  by  un- 
privileged persons,  permitted  the  Mastiff  to  come  within  the 
precincts  of  a  forest,  imposing,  however,  the  condition  that 
every  such  dog  should  have  the  claws  of  the  fore-feet  removed 
close  to  the  skin. 

The  name  Mastiff  was  probably  applied  to  any  massively 
built  dog.  It  is  not  easy  to  trace  the  true  breed  amid  the 
various  names  which  it  owned.  Molossus,  Alan,  Alaunt, 
Tie-clog,  Bandog  (or  Band-dog),  were  among  the  number. 
The  names  Tie-dog  and  Bandog  intimate  that  the  Mastiff 
was  commonly  kept  for  guard,  but  many  were  specially 
trained  for  baiting  bears,  imported  lions,  and  bulls. 

There  is  constant  record  of  the  Mastiff  having  been  kept 
and  carefully  bred  for  many  generations  in  certain  old  English 
families.  One  of  the  oldest  strains  of  Mastiffs  was  that  kept 
by  Mr.  Legh,  of  Lyme  Hall,  in  Cheshire.  They  were  large, 
powerful  dogs,  and  longer  in  muzzle  than  those  which  we 
are  now  accustomed  to  see.  Another  old  and  valuable  strain 
was  kept  by  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  at  Chatsworth.  It  is 
to  these  two  strains  that  the  dogs  of  the  present  day  trace 
back. 

Mr.  Woolmore's  Crown  Prince  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
of  Mastiffs.  He  was  a  fawn  dog  with  a  Dudley  nose  and  light 
eye,  and  was  pale  in  muzzle,  and  whilst  full  credit  must 
be  given  to  him  for  having  sired  many  good  Mastiffs,  he  must 


12          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

be  held  responsible  for  the  faults  in  many  specimens  of  more 
recent  years.  Unfortunately,  he  was  indiscriminately  bred 
from,  with  the  result  that  in  a  very  short  time  breeders  found 
it  impossible  to  find  a  Mastiff  unrelated  to  him. 

It  is  to  be  deplored  that  ever  since  his  era  there 
has  been  a  perceptible  diminution  in  the  number  of  good 
examples  of  this  fine  old  English  breed,  and  that  from  being 
an  admired  and  fashionable  dog  the  Mastiff  has  so  declined 
in  popularity  that  few  are  to  be  seen  either  at  exhibitions  or 
in  breeders'  kennels.  At  the  Crystal  Palace  in  1871  there 
were  as  many  as  sixty-three  Mastiffs  on  show,  forming  a  line 
of  benches  two  hundred  yards  long,  and  not  a  bad  one  among 
them  ;  whereas  at  a  dog  show  held  twenty-five  years  later, 
where  more  than  twelve  hundred  dogs  were  entered,  not  a 
single  Mastiff  was  benched. 

The  difficulty  of  obtaining  dogs  of  unblemished  pedigree 
and  superlative  type  may  partly  account  for  this  decline, 
and  another  reason  of  unpopularity  may  be  that  the  Mastiff 
requires  so  much  attention  to  keep  him  in  condition  that 
without  it  he  is  apt  to  become  indolent  and  heavy.  Never- 
theless, the  mischief  of  breeding  too  continuously  from  one 
strain  such  as  that  of  Crown  Prince  has  to  some  extent  been 
eradicated,  and  we  have  had  many  splendid  Mastiffs  since 
his  time.  Special  mention  should  be  made  of  that  grand 
bitch  Cambrian  Princess,  by  Beau.  She  was  purchased  by 
Mrs.  Willins,  who,  mating  her  with  Maximilian  (a  dog  of  her 
own  breeding  by  The  Emperor),  obtained  Minting,  who 
shared  with  Mr.  Sidney  Turner's  Beaufort  the  reputation  of 
being  unapproached  for  all  round  merit  in  any  period. 

The  following  description  of  a  perfect  Mastiff,  taken  from 
the  Old  English  Mastiff  Club's  Points  of  a  Mastiff,  is 
admirable  as  a  standard  to  which  future  breeders  should 
aim  to  attain. 

POINTS  OF  THE  MASTIFF  :  General  Character  and  Symmetry- 
Large,  massive,  powerful,  symmetrical  and  well-knit  frame.  A  com- 
bination of  grandeur  and  good  nature,  courage  and  docility.  General 


THE  ENGLISH  MASTIFF  13 

Description  of  Head — In  general  outline,  giving  a  square  appearance 
when  viewed  from  any  point.  Breadth  greatly  to  be  desired,  and 
should  be  in  ratio  to  length  of  the  whole  head  and  face  as  2  to  3.  General 
Description  of  Body — Massive,  broad,  deep,  long,  powerfully  built,  on 
legs  wide  apart,  and  squarely  set.  Muscles  sharply  defined.  Size  a 
great  desideratum,  if  combined  with  quality.  Height  and  substance 
important  if  both  points  are  proportionately  combined.  Skull — Broad 
between  the  ears,  forehead  flat,  but  wrinkled  when  attention  is  excited. 
Brows  (superciliary  ridges)  slightly  raised.  Muscles  of  the  temples 
and  cheeks  (temporal  and  masseter)  well  developed.  Arch  across  the 
skull  of  a  rounded,  flattened  curve,  with  a  depression  up  the  centre  of 
the  forehead  from  the  medium  line  between  the  eyes,  to  half  way  up 
the  sagittal  suture.  Face  or  Muzzle — Short,  broad  under  the  eyes, 
and  keeping  nearly  parallel  in  width  to  the  end  of  the  nose  ;  truncated, 
i.e.  blunt  and  cut  off  square,  thus  forming  a  right  angle  with  the  upper 
line  of  the  face,  of  great  depth  from  the  point  of  the  nose  to  under  jaw. 
Under  jaw  broad  to  the  end  ;  canine  teeth  healthy,  powerful,  and  wide 
apart ;  incisors  level,  or  the  lower  projecting  beyond  the  upper,  but 
never  sufficiently  so  as  to  become  visible  when  the  mouth  is  closed. 
Nose  broad,  with  widely  spreading  nostrils  when  viewed  from  the  front  ; 
flat  (not  pointed  or  turned  up)  in  profile.  Lips  diverging  at  obtuse 
angles  with  the  septum,  and  slightly  pendulous  so  as  to  show  a  square 
profile.  Length  of  muzzle  to  whole  head  and  face  as  1  to  3.  Cir- 
cumference of  muzzle  (measured  midway  between  the  eyes  and  nose) 
to  that  of  the  head  (measured  before  the  ears)  as  3  to  5.  Ears — Small, 
thin  to  the  touch,  wide  apart,  set  on  at  the  highest  points  of  the  sides 
of  the  skull,  so  as  to  continue  the  outline  across  the  summit,  and  lying 
flat  and  close  to  the  cheeks  when  in  repose.  Eyes — Small,  wide  apart, 
divided  by  at  least  the  space  of  two  eyes.  The  stop  between  the 
eyes  well  marked,  but  not  too  abrupt.  Colour  hazel-brown,  the 
darker  the  better,  showing  no  haw.  Neck,  Chest  and  Ribs — Neck — 
Slightly  arched,  moderately  long,  very  muscular,  and  measuring  in 
circumference  about  one  or  two  inches  less  than  the  skull  before  the 
ears.  Chest — Wide,  deep,  and  well  let  down  between  the  fore-legs. 
Ribs  arched  and  well-rounded.  False  ribs  deep  and  well  set  back  to 
the  hips.  Girth  should  be  one-third  more  than  the  height  at  the 
shoulder.  Shoulder  and  Arm — Slightly  sloping,  heavy  and  muscular. 
Fore-legs  and  Feet — Legs  straight,  strong,  and  set  wide  apart;  bones 
very  large.  Elbows  square.  Pasterns  upright.  Feet  large  and 
round.  Toes  well  arched  up.  Nails  black.  Back,  Loins  and  Flanks 
— Back  and  loins  wide  and  muscular  ;  flat  and  very  wide  in  a  bitch, 
slightly  arched  in  a  dog.  Great  depth  of  flanks.  Hind-legs  and  Feet — 
Hind-quarters  broad,  wide,  and  muscular,  with  well  developed  second 
thighs,  hocks  bent,  wide  apart,  and  quite  squarely  set  when  standing 
or  walking.  Feet  round.  Tail — Put  on  high  up,  and  reaching  to  the 
hocks,  or  a  little  below  them,  wide  at  its  root  and  tapering  to  the  end, 
hanging  straight  in  repose,  but  forming  a  curve,  with  the  end  pointing 
upwards,  but  not  over  the  back,  when  the  dog  is  excited.  Coat — 
Colour — Coat  short  and  close  lying,  but  not  too  fine  over  the  shoulders, 
neck,  and  back.  Colour,  apricot  or  silver  fawn,  or  dark  fawn-brindle. 
In  any  case,  muzzle,  ears,  and  nose  should  be  black,  with  black  round 
the  orbits,  and  extending  upwards  between  them. 


14    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Size  is  a  quality  very  desirable  in  this  breed.  The  height  of 
many  dogs  of  olden  days  was  from  thirty-two  to  thirty-three 
inches.  The  height  should  be  obtained  rather  from  great 
depth  of  body  than  length  of  leg.  A  leggy  Mastiff  is  very  un- 
desirable. Thirty  inches  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  average 
height  for  dogs,  and  bitches  somewhat  less.  Many  of  Mr. 
Lukey's  stood  32  inches  and  over  ;  Mr.  Green's  Monarch  was 
over  33  inches,  The  Shah  32  inches,  and  Cardinal  32  inches. 

The  method  of  rearing  a  Mastiff  has  much  to  do  with  its 
ultimate  size,  but  it  is  perhaps  needless  to  say  that  the  selection 
of  the  breeding  stock  has  still  more  to  do  with  this.  It  is 
therefore  essential  to  select  a  dog  and  bitch  of  a  large  strain  to 
obtain  large  Mastiffs.  It  is  not  so  necessary  that  the  dogs 
themselves  should  be  so  large  as  that  they  come  from  a  large 
strain.  The  weight  of  a  full-grown  dog  should  be  anything 
over  160  Ib.  Many  have  turned  over  the  scale  at  180  Ib.  The 
Shah,  for  instance,  was  182  Ib.  in  weight,  Scawfell  over 
200  Ib. 

One  of  the  great  difficulties  that  breeders  of  Mastiffs  and  all 
other  large  dogs  have  to  contend  against  is  in  rearing  the 
puppies ;  so  many  bitches  being  clumsy  and  apt  to  kill  the 
whelps  by  lying  on  them.  It  is,  therefore,  always  better  to  be 
provided  with  one  or  more  foster  bitches.  At  about  six  weeks 
old  a  fairly  good  opinion  may  be  formed  as  to  what  the  puppies 
will  ultimately  turn  out  in  certain  respects,  for,  although  they 
may  change  materially  during  growth,  the  good  or  bad 
qualities  which  are  manifest  at  that  early  age  will,  in  all  prob- 
ability, be  apparent  when  the  puppy  has  reached  maturity. 
It  is,  therefore,  frequently  easier  to  select  the  best  puppy  in 
the  nest  than  to  do  so  when  they  are  from  six  to  nine  or  ten 
months  old. 

Puppies  should  be  allowed  all  the  liberty  possible,  and  never 
be  tied  up :  they  should  be  taken  out  for  steady,  gentle 
exercise,  and  not  permitted  to  get  too  fat  or  they  become  too 
heavy,  with  detrimental  results  to  their  legs.  Many  Mastiff 
puppies  are  very  shy  and  nervous,  but  they  will  grow  out  of  this 


THE  ENGLISH  MASTIFF  15 

if  kindly  handled,  and  eventually  become  the  best  guard  and 
protector  it  is  possible  to  have. 

The  temper  of  a  Mastiff  should  be  taken  into  consideration 
by  the  breeder.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  possessed  of  the  best  of 
tempers.  A  savage  dog  with  such  power  as  the  Mastiff  pos- 
sesses is  indeed  a  dangerous  creature,  and,  therefore,  some 
inquiries  as  to  the  temper  of  a  stud  dog  should  be  made  before 
deciding  to  use  him.  In  these  dogs,  as  in  all  others,  it  is  a 
question  of  how  they  are  treated  by  the  person  having  charge 
of  them. 

The  feeding  of  puppies  is  an  important  matter,  and  should 
be  carefully  seen  to  by  anyone  wishing  to  rear  them  success- 
fully. If  goat's  milk  is  procurable  it  is  preferable  to  cow's 
milk.  The  price  asked  for  it  is  sometimes  prohibitory,  but 
this  difficulty  may  be  surmounted  in  many  cases  by  keeping  a 
goat  or  two  on  the  premises.  Many  breeders  have  obtained  a 
goat  with  the  sole  object  of  rearing  a  litter  of  puppies  on  her 
milk,  and  have  eventually  discarded  cow's  milk  altogether, 
using  goat's  milk  for  household  purposes  instead.  As  soon 
as  the  puppies  will  lap  they  should  be  induced  to  take  arrow- 
root prepared  with  milk.  Oatmeal  and  maizemeal,  about  one 
quarter  of  the  latter  to  three  quarters  of  the  former,  make  a 
good  food  for  puppies.  Dog  biscuits  and  the  various  hound 
meals,  soaked  in  good  broth,  may  be  used  with  advantage, 
but  no  dogs,  either  large  or  small,  can  be  kept  in  condition 
for  any  length  of  time  without  a  fair  proportion  of  meat  of 
some  kind.  Sheep's  paunches,  cleaned  and  well  boiled,  mixed 
with  sweet  stale  bread,  previously  soaked  in  cold  water,  make 
an  excellent  food  and  can  hardly  be  excelled  as  a  staple  diet. 
In  feeding  on  horseflesh  care  should  be  taken  to  ascertain 
that  the  horse  was  not  diseased,  especially  if  any  is  given 
uncooked. 

Worms  are  a  constant  source  of  trouble  from  the  earliest 
days  of  puppy-hood,  and  no  puppy  suffering  from  them  will 
thrive ;  every  effort,  therefore,  should  be  made  to  get  rid  of 
them. 


16          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

With  proper  feeding,  grooming,  exercise,  and  cleanliness, 
any  large  dog  can  be  kept  in  good  condition  without  resort  to 
medicine,  the  use  of  which  should  be  strictly  prohibited  unless 
there  is  real  need  for  it.  Mastiffs  kept  under  such  conditions 
are  far  more  likely  to  prove  successful  stud  dogs  and  brood 
bitches  than  those  to  which  deleterious  drugs  are  constantly 
being  given. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  BULLDOG 

THE  Bulldog  is  known  to  have  been  domiciled  in  this  country 
for  several  centuries.  Like  the  Mastiff,  of  which  it  is  a 
smaller  form,  it  is  a  descendant  of  the  "  Alaunt,"  Mastive,  or 
Bandog,  described  by  Dr.  Caius,  who  states  that  "  the  Mastyve 
or  Bandogge  is  vaste,  huge,  stubborne,  ougly  and  eager,  of  a 
hevy,  and  burthenous  body,  and  therefore  but  of  little  swift- 
nesse,  terrible  and  frightful  to  beholde,  and  more  fearce  and 
fell  than  any  Arcadian  curre." 

The  first  mention  of  "  Bulldog  "  as  the  distinctive  name 
of  this  now  national  breed  occurs  in  a  letter,  written  by 
Prestwich  Eaton  from  St.  Sebastian  to  George  Wellingham 
in  St.  Swithin's  Lane,  London,  in  1631  or  1632,  "  for  a  good 
Mastive  dogge,  a  case  of  bottles  replenished  with  the  best 
lickour,  and  pray  proceur  mee  two  good  bulldoggs,  and  let 
them  be  sent  by  ye  first  shipp."  Obviously  the  name  was 
derived  from  the  dog's  association  with  the  sport  of  bull-baiting. 
The  object  aimed  at  in  that  pursuit  was  that  the  dog  should  pin 
and  hold  the  bull  by  the  muzzle,  and  not  leave  it.  The  bull 
was  naturally  helpless  when  seized  in  his  most  tender  part. 
As  he  lowered  his  head  in  order  to  use  his  horns  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  dog  to  keep  close  to  the  ground,  or,  in  the  words  of 
the  old  fanciers  of  the  sport,  to  "  play  low."  Larger  dogs 
were  at  a  disadvantage  in  this  respect,  and,  therefore,  those 
of  smaller  proportions,  which  were  quite  as  suitable  for  the 
sport,  were  selected.  The  average  height  of  the  dogs  was 
about  16  inches,  and  the  weight  was  generally  about  45  Ibs., 
whilst  the  body  was  broad,  muscular,  and  compact,  as  is 
shown  in  Scott's  well-known  engraving  of  "  Crib  and  Rosa." 
c  17 


i8    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

When  bull-baiting  was  prohibited  by  law  the  sportsmen  of 
the  period  turned  their  attention  to  dog-fighting,  and  for  this 
pastime  the  Bulldogs  were  specially  trained.  The  chief 
centres  in  London  where  these  exhibitions  took  place  were  the 
Westminster  Pit,  the  Bear  Garden  at  Bankside,  and  the  Old 
Conduit  Fields  in  Bayswater.  In  order  to  obtain  greater 
quickness  of  movement  many  of  the  Bulldogs  were  crossed 
with  a  terrier,  although  some  fanciers  relied  on  the  pure  breed. 
It  is  recorded  that  Lord  Camelford's  Bulldog  Belcher  fought 
one  hundred  and  four  battles  without  once  suffering  defeat. 

The  decline  of  bull-baiting  and  dog-fighting  after  the  passing 
of  the  Bill  prohibiting  these  sports  was  responsible  for  a  lack  of 
interest  in  perpetuating  the  breed  of  Bulldogs.  Even  in  1824 
it  was  said  to  be  degenerating,  and  gentlemen  who  had  pre- 
viously been  the  chief  breeders  gradually  deserted  the  fancy. 
At  one  time  it  was  stated  that  Wasp,  Child,  and  Billy,  who 
were  of  the  Duke  of  Hamilton's  strain,  were  the  only  re- 
maining Bulldogs  in  existence,  and  that  upon  their  decease  the 
Bulldog  would  become  extinct — a  prophecy  which  all  Bulldog 
lovers  happily  find  incorrect. 

The  specimens  alive  in  1817,  as  seen  in  prints  of  that  period, 
were  not  so  cloddy  as  those  met  with  at  the  present  day. 
Still,  the  outline  of  Rosa  in  the  engraving  of  Crib  and 
Rosa,  is  considered  to  represent  perfection  in  the  shape,  make, 
and  size  of  the  ideal  type  of  Bulldog.  The  only  objections 
which  have  been  taken  are  that  the  bitch  is  deficient  in  wrinkles 
about  the  head  and  neck,  and  in  substance  of  bone  in  the 
limbs. 

The  commencement  of  the  dog-show  era  in  1859  enabled 
classes  to  be  provided  for  Bulldogs,  and  a  fresh  incentive  to 
breed  them  was  offered  to  the  dog  fancier.  In  certain  districts 
of  the  country,  notably  in  London,  Birmingham,  Sheffield, 
Manchester,  and  Dudley,  a  number  of  fanciers  resided,  and  it 
is  to  their  efforts  that  we  are  indebted  for  the  varied  specimens 
of  the  breed  that  are  to  be  seen  at  the  present  time. 

In  forming  a  judgment  of  a  Bulldog  the  general  appearance 


THE  BULLDOG  19 

is  of  most  importance,  as  the  various  points  of  the  dog  should 
be  symmetrical  and  well  balanced,  no  one  point  being  in  excess 
of  the  others  so  as  to  destroy  the  impression  of  determination, 
strength,  and  activity  which  is  conveyed  by  the  typical  speci- 
men. His  body  should  be  thickset,  rather  low  in  stature,  but 
broad,  powerful,  and  compact.  The  head  should  be  strik- 
ingly massive  and  large  in  proportion  to  the  dog's  size.  It 
cannot  be  too  large  so  long  as  it  is  square  ;  that  is,  it  must  not 
be  wider  than  it  is  deep.  The  larger  the  head  in  circumference, 
caused  by  the  prominent  cheeks,  the  greater  the  quantity 
of  muscle  to  hold  the  jaws  together.  The  head  should  be  of 
great  depth  from  the  occiput  to  the  base  of  the  lower  jaw,  and 
should  not  in  any  way  be  wedge-shaped,  dome-shaped,  or 
peaked.  In  circumference  the  skull  should  measure  in  front 
of  the  ears  at  least  the  height  of  the  dog  at  the  shoulders.  The 
cheeks  should  be  well  rounded,  extend  sideways  beyond  the 
eyes,  and  be  well  furnished  with  muscle.  Length  of  skull — 
that  is,  the  distance  between  the  eye  and  the  ear — is  very 
desirable.  The  forehead  should  be  flat,  and  the  skin  upon  it 
and  about  the  head  very  loose,  hanging  in  large  wrinkles.  The 
temples,  or  frontal  bones,  should  be  very  prominent,  broad, 
square  and  high,  causing  a  wide  and  deep  groove  known  as 
the  "  stop  "  between  the  eyes,  and  should  extend  up  the  middle 
of  the  forehead,  dividing  the  head  vertically,  being  traceable 
at  the  top  of  the  skull.  The  expression  "  well  broken  up  " 
is  used  where  this  stop  and  furrow  are  well  marked,  and  if 
there  is  the  attendant  looseness  of  skin  the  animal's  expression 
is  well  finished. 

The  face,  when  measured  from  the  front  of  the  cheek-bone 
to  the  nose,  should  be  short,  and  its  skin  should  be  deeply  and 
closely  wrinkled.  Excessive  shortness  of  face  is  not  natural, 
and  can  only  be  obtained  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  "  chop." 
Such  shortness  of  face  makes  the  dog  appear  smaller  in  head 
and  less  formidable  than  he  otherwise  would  be.  Formerly 
this  shortness  of  face  was  artificially  obtained  by  the  use  of 
the  "jack,"  an  atrocious  form  of  torture,  by  which  an  iron 


20          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

instrument  was  used  to  force  back  the  face  by  means  of  thumb- 
screws. The  nose  should  be  rough,  large,  broad,  and  black, 
and  this  colour  should  extend  to  the  lower  lip  ;  its  top  should 
be  deeply  set  back,  almost  between  the  eyes.  The  distance 
from  the  inner  corner  of  the  eye  to  the  extreme  tip  of  the  nose 
should  not  be  greater  than  the  length  from  the  tip  of  the  nose 
to  the  edge  of  the  under  lip.  The  nostrils  should  be  large  and 
wide,  with  a  well-defined  straight  line  visible  between  them. 
The  largeness  of  nostril,  which  is  a  very  desirable  property,  is 
possessed  by  few  of  the  recent  prize-winners. 

When  viewed  in  profile  the  tip  of  the  nose  should  touch  an 
imaginary  line  drawn  from  the  extremity  of  the  lower  jaw  to 
the  top  of  the  centre  of  the  skull.  This  angle  of  the  nose  and 
face  is  known  as  the  lay-back,  and  can  only  properly  be  ascer- 
tained by  viewing  the  dog  from  the  side. 

The  inclination  backward  of  the  nose  allows  a  free  passage 
of  the  air  into  the  nostrils  whilst  the  dog  is  holding  his  quarry. 
It  is  apparent  that  if  the  mouth  did  not  project  beyond  the 
nose,  the  nostrils  would  be  flat  against  the  part  to  which  the 
dog  was  fixed,  and  breathing  would  then  be  stopped. 

The  upper  lip,  called  the  "  chop,"  or  flews,  should  be  thick, 
broad,  pendant  and  very  deep,  hanging  completely  over  the 
lower  jaw  at  the  sides,  but  only  just  joining  the  under  lip  in 
front,  yet  covering  the  teeth  completely.  The  amount  of 
"  cushion  "  which  a  dog  may  have  is  dependent  upon  the  thick- 
ness of  the  flews.  The  lips  should  not  be  pendulous. 

The  upper  jaw  should  be  broad,  massive,  and  square,  the 
tusks  being  wide  apart,  whilst  the  lower  jaw,  being  turned 
upwards,  should  project  in  front  of  the  upper.  The  teeth 
should  be  large  and  strong,  and  the  six  small  teeth  between 
the  tusks  should  be  in  an  even  row.  The  upper  jaw  cannot  be 
too  broad  between  the  tusks.  If  the  upper  and  lower  jaws 
are  level,  and  the  muzzle  is  not  turned  upwards  the  dog  is  said 
to  be  "  down-faced,"  whilst  if  the  underjaw  is  not  undershot 
he  is  said  to  be  "  froggy."  A  "  wry-faced  "  dog  is  one  having 
the  lower  jaw  twisted,  and  this  deformity  so  detracts  from  the 


THE  BULLDOG  21 

general  appearance  of  the  dog  as  seriously  to  handicap  him 
in  the  show-ring. 

The  under  jaw  projects  beyond  the  upper  in  order  to  allow 
the  dog,  when  running  directly  to  the  front,  to  grasp  the  bull, 
and,  when  fixed,  to  give  him  a  firmer  hold.  The  eyes,  seen 
from  the  front,  should  be  situated  low  down  in  the  skull,  as  far 
from  the  ears,  the  nose,  and  each  other  as  possible,  but  quite 
in  front  of  the  forehead,  so  long  as  their  corners  are  in  a  straight 
line  at  right  angles  with  the  stop,  and  in  front  of  the  forehead. 
They  should  be  a  little  above  the  level  of  the  base  of  the  nasal 
bone,  and  should  be  quite  round  in  shape,  of  moderate  size, 
neither  sunken  nor  prominent,  and  be  as  black  in  colour  as 
possible — almost,  if  not  quite,  black,  showing  no  white  when 
looking  directly  to  the  front. 

A  good  deal  of  a  Bulldog's  appearance  depends  on  the 
quality,  shape,  and  carriage  of  his  ears.  They  should  be  small 
and  thin,  and  set  high  on  the  head  ;  that  is,  the  front  inner 
edge  of  each  ear  should,  as  viewed  from  the  front,  join  the  out- 
line of  the  skull  at  the  top  corner  of  such  outline,  so  as  to  place 
them  as  wide  apart,  as  high,  and  as  far  from  the  eyes  as 
possible.  The  shape  should  be  that  which  is  known  as  "  rose," 
in  which  the  ear  folds  inward  at  the  back,  the  upper  or  front 
edge  curving  over  outwards  and  backwards,  showing  part  of 
the  inside  of  the  burr.  If  the  ears  are  placed  low  on  the  skull 
they  give  an  appleheaded  appearance  to  the  dog.  If  the  ear 
falls  in  front,  hiding  the  interior,  as  is  the  case  with  a  Fox- 
terrier,  it  is  said  to  "  button,"  and  this  type  is  highly  objec- 
tionable. Unfortunately,  within  the  last  few  years  the 
"  button  "  and  "  semi-tulip  "  ear  have  been  rather  prevalent 
amongst  the  specimens  on  the  show  bench. 

If  the  ear  is  carried  erect  it  is  known  as  a  "  tulip  "  ear,  and 
this  form  also  is  objectionable.  Nevertheless,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteeth  century  two  out  of  every  three  dogs  possessed 
ears  of  this  description. 

The  neck  should  be  moderate  in  length,  very  thick,  deep, 
muscular,  and  short,  but  of  sufficient  length  to  allow  it  to  be 


22          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

well  arched  at  the  back,  commencing  at  the  junction  with  the 
skull.  There  should  be  plenty  of  loose,  thick,  and  wrinkled 
skin  about  the  throat,  forming  a  dewlap  on  each  side  from 
the  lower  jaw  to  the  chest. 

The  chest  should  be  very  wide  laterally,  round,  prominent, 
and  deep,  making  the  dog  appear  very  broad  and  short- 
legged  in  front.  The  shoulders  should  be  broad,  the  blades 
sloping  considerably  from  the  body ;  they  should  be  deep, 
very  powerful,  and  muscular,  and  should  be  flat  at  the  top 
and  play  loosely  from  the  chest. 

The  brisket  should  be  capacious,  round,  and  very  deep 
from  the  shoulder  to  the  lowest  part,  where  it  joins  the  chest, 
and  be  well  let  down  between  the  fore-legs.  It  should  be  large 
in  diameter,  and  round  behind  the  fore-legs,  neither  flat-sided 
nor  sinking,  which  it  will  not  do  provided  that  the  first  and 
succeeding  ribs  are  well  rounded.  The  belly  should  be  well 
tucked  up  and  not  pendulous,  a  small  narrow  waist  being 
greatly  admired.  The  desired  object  in  body  formation  is 
to  obtain  great  girth  at  the  brisket,  and  the  smallest  possible 
around  the  waist,  that  is,  the  loins  should  be  arched  very 
high,  when  the  dog  is  said  to  have  a  good  "  cut-up." 

The  back  should  be  short  and  strong,  very  broad  at  the 
shoulder  and  comparatively  narrow  at  the  loins.  The  back 
should  rise  behind  the  shoulders  in  a  graceful  curve  to  the 
loins,  the  top  of  which  should  be  higher  than  the  top  of  the 
shoulders,  thence  curving  again  more  suddenly  to  the  tail, 
forming  an  arch  known  as  the  "  roach  "  back,  which  is 
essentially  a  characteristic  of  the  breed,  though,  unfortu- 
nately, many  leading  prize-winners  of  the  present  day  are 
entirely  deficient  in  this  respect.  Some  dogs  dip  very  con- 
siderably some  distance  behind  the  shoulders  before  the  up- 
ward curve  of  the  spine  begins,  and  these  are  known  as 
"  swamp-backed  "  ;  others  rise  in  an  almost  straight  line  to 
the  root  of  the  tail,  and  are  known  as  "  stern-high." 

The  tail  should  be  set  on  low,  jut  out  rather  straight,  then 
turn  downwards,  the  end  pointing  horizontally.  It  should  be 


THE  BULLDOG  23 

quite  round  in  its  whole  length,  smooth  and  devoid  of  fringe 
or  coarse  hair.  It  should  be  moderate  in  length,  rather 
short  than  long,  thick  at  the  root,  and  taper  quickly  to  a 
fine  point.  It  should  have  a  downward  carriage,  and  the 
dog  should  not  be  able  to  raise  it  above  the  level  of  the  back- 
bone. The  tail  should  not  curve  at  the  end,  otherwise  it  is 
known  as  "  ring- tailed."  The  ideal  length  of  tail  is  about 
six  inches. 

Many  fanciers  demand  a  "  screw "  or  "  kinked "  tail, 
that  is,  one  having  congenital  dislocations  at  the  joints,  but 
such  appendages  are  not  desirable  in  the  best  interests  of  the 
breed. 

The  fore-legs  should  be  very  stout  and  strong,  set  wide 
apart,  thick,  muscular,  and  short,  with  well-developed 
muscles  in  the  calves,  presenting  a  rather  bowed  outline, 
but  the  bones  of  the  legs  must  be  straight,  large,  and  not 
bandy  or  curved.  They  should  be  rather  short  in  proportion 
to  the  hind-legs,  but  not  so  short  as  to  make  the  back  appear 
long  or  detract  from  the  dog's  activity  and  so  cripple  him. 

The  elbows  should  be  low  and  stand  well  away  from  the 
ribs,  so  as  to  permit  the  body  to  swing  between  them.  If 
this  property  be  absent  the  dog  is  said  to  be  "  on  the  leg." 
The  ankles  or  pasterns  should  be  short,  straight,  and  strong. 
The  fore-feet  should  be  straight  and  turn  very  slightly  out- 
wards ;  they  should  be  of  medium  size  and  moderately 
round,  not  too  long  or  narrow,  whilst  the  toes  should  be  thick, 
compact,  and  well  split  up,  making  the  knuckles  prominent 
and  high. 

The  hind-legs,  though  of  slighter  build  than  the  fore-legs, 
should  be  strong  and  muscular.  They  should  be  longer,  in 
proportion,  than  the  fore-legs  in  order  to  elevate  the  loins. 
The  stifles  should  be  round  and  turned  slightly  outwards, 
away  from  the  body,  thus  bending  the  hocks  inward  and  the 
hind-feet  outward.  The  hocks  should  be  well  let  down,  so 
that  the  leg  is  long  and  muscular  from  the  loins  to  the  point 
of  the  hock,  which  makes  the  pasterns  short,  but  these  should 


24    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

not  be  so  short  as  those  of  the  fore-legs.  The  hind-feet,  whilst 
being  smaller  than  the  forefeet,  should  be  round  and  compact, 
with  the  toes  well  split  up,  and  the  knuckles  prominent. 

The  most  desirable  weight  for  a  Bulldog  is  about  50  Ibs. 

The  coat  should  be  fine  in  texture,  short,  close,  and  smooth, 
silky  when  stroked  from  the  head  towards  the  tail  owing  to  its 
closeness,  but  not  wiry  when  stroked  in  the  reverse  direction. 

The  colour  should  be  whole  or  smut,  the  latter  being  a 
whole  colour  with  a  black  mask  or  muzzle.  It  should  be 
brilliant  and  pure  of  its  sort.  The  colours  in  order  of  merit 
are,  first,  whole  colours  and  smuts,  viz.,  brindles,  reds,  white, 
with  their  varieties,  as  whole  fawns,  fallows,  etc.,  and, 
secondly,  pied  and  mixed  colours.  Opinions  differ  considerably 
on  the  colour  question  ;  one  judge  will  set  back  a  fawn  and 
put  forward  a  pied  dog,  whilst  others  will  do  the  reverse. 
Occasionally  one  comes  across  specimens  having  a  black-and- 
tan  colour,  which,  although  not  mentioned  in  the  recognised 
standard  as  being  debarred,  do  not  as  a  rule  figure  in  the  prize 
list.  Some  of  the  best  specimens  which  the  writer  has  seen 
have  been  black-and-tans,  and  a  few  years  ago  on  the  award 
of  a  first  prize  to  a  bitch  of  this  colour,  a  long  but  non-conclu- 
sive argument  was  held  in  the  canine  press.  Granted  that  the 
colour  is  objectionable,  a  dog  which  scores  in  all  other  pro- 
perties should  not  be  put  down  for  this  point  alone,  seeing  that 
in  the  dog-fighting  days  there  were  many  specimens  of  this 
colour. 

In  action  the  Bulldog  should  have  a  peculiarly  heavy  and 
constrained  gait,  a  rolling,  or  "  slouching "  movement, 
appearing  to  walk  with  short,  quick  steps  on  the  tip  of  his 
toes,  his  hind-feet  not  being  lifted  high  but  appearing  to  skim 
the  ground,  and  running  with  the  right  shoulder  rather  ad- 
vanced, similar  to  the  manner  of  a  horse  when  cantering. 

The  foregoing  minute  description  of  the  various  show 
points  of  a  Bulldog  indicates  that  he  should  have  the  appear- 
ance of  a  thick-set  Ayrshire  or  Highland  bull.  In  stature  he 
should  be  low  to  the  ground,  broad  and  compact,  the  body 


THE  BULLDOG  25 

being  carried  between  and  not  on  the  fore-legs.  He  should 
stand  over  a  great  deal  of  ground,  and  have  the  appearance 
of  immense  power.  The  height  of  the  fore-leg  should  not  ex- 
ceed the  distance  from  the  elbow  to  the  centre  of  the  back, 
between  the  shoulder  blades. 

Considerable  importance  is  attached  to  the  freedom  and 
activity  displayed  by  the  animal  in  its  movements.  De- 
formed joints,  or  weakness,  are  very  objectionable.  The 
head  should  be  strikingly  massive  and  carried  low,  the  face 
short,  the  muzzle  very  broad,  blunt,  and  inclined  upwards. 
The  body  should  be  short  and  well-knit,  the  limbs,  stout  and 
muscular.  The  hind-quarters  should  be  very  high  and  strong, 
but  rather  lightly  made  in  comparison  with  the  heavily- 
made  fore-parts. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  there  are  many  strains  of 
this  breed  which  are  constitutionally  unsound.  For  this 
reason  it  is  important  that  the  novice  should  give  very  careful 
consideration  to  his  first  purchase  of  a  Bulldog.  He  should 
ascertain  beyond  all  doubt,  not  only  that  his  proposed  pur- 
chase is  itself  sound  in  wind  and  limb,  but  that  its  sire  and 
dam  are,  and  have  been,  in  similarly  healthy  condition.  The 
dog  to  be  chosen  should  be  physically  strong  and  show  pro- 
nounced muscular  development.  If  these  requirements  are 
present  and  the  dog  is  in  no  sense  a  contradiction  of  the  good 
qualities  of  its  progenitors,  but  a  justification  of  its  pedigree, 
care  and  good  treatment  will  do  the  rest.  It  is  to  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  a  Bulldog  may  be  improved  by 
judicious  exercise.  When  at  exercise,  or  taking  a  walk  with 
his  owner,  the  young  dog  should  always  be  held  by  a  leash. 
He  will  invariably  pull  vigorously  against  this  restraint,  but 
such  action  is  beneficial,  as  it  tends  to  develop  the  muscles 
of  the  shoulders  and  front  of  the  body. 

When  taking  up  the  Bulldog  fancy,  nine  out  of  every  ten 
novices  choose  to  purchase  a  male.  The  contrary  course  should 
be  adopted.  The  female  is  an  equally  good  companion  in  the 
house  or  on  the  road  ;  she  is  not  less  affectionate  and  faithful ; 


26          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  when  the  inevitable  desire  to  attempt  to  reproduce  the 
species  is  reached  the  beginner  has  the  means  at  once  available. 

It  is  always  difficult  for  the  uninitiated  to  select  what  is 
likely  to  be  a  good  dog  from  the  nest.  In  choosing  a  puppy 
care  should  be  taken  to  ensure  it  has  plenty  of  bone  in  its 
limbs,  and  these  should  be  fairly  short  and  wide  ;  the  nostrils 
should  be  large  and  the  face  as  short  as  possible.  The  chop 
should  be  thick  and  heavily  wrinkled  and  the  mouth  square. 
There  should  be  a  distinct  indent  in  the  upper  jaw,  where  the 
bone  will  eventually  curve,  whilst  the  lower  jaw  should  show 
signs  of  curvature  and  protrude  slightly  in  front  of  the  upper 
jaw.  The  teeth  from  canine  to  canine,  including  the  six 
front  teeth,  should  be  in  a  straight  line. 

See  that  the  ears  are  very  small  and  thin,  and  the  eyes  set 
well  apart.  The  puppy  having  these  properties,  together 
with  a  domed,  peaked,  or  "  cocoanut  "  shaped  skull,  is  the  one 
which,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  will  eventually  make  the  best 
headed  dog  of  the  litter. 

The  breeding  of  Bulldogs  requires  unlimited  patience,  as 
success  is  very  difficult  to  attain.  The  breeder  who  can  rear 
five  out  of  every  ten  puppies  born  may  be  considered  fortu- 
nate. It  is  frequently  found  in  what  appears  to  be  a  healthy 
lot  of  puppies  that  some  of  them  begin  to  whine  and  whimper 
towards  the  end  of  the  first  day,  and  in  such  cases  the  writer's 
experience  is  that  there  will  be  a  speedy  burial. 

It  may  be  that  the  cause  is  due  to  some  acidity  of  the  milk, 
but  in  such  a  case  one  would  expect  that  similar  difficulty 
would  be  experienced  with  the  remainder  of  the  litter,  but 
this  is  not  the  usual  result.  Provided  that  the  puppies  can  be 
kept  alive  until  the  fourth  day,  it  may  be  taken  that  the 
chances  are  well  in  favour  of  ultimate  success. 

Many  breeders  object  to  feeding  the  mother  with  meat 
at  this  time,  but  the  writer  once  had  two  litter  sisters  who 
whelped  on  the  same  day,  and  he  decided  to  try  the  effect 
of  a  meat  versus  farinaceous  diet  upon  them.  As  a  result  the 
bitch  who  was  freely  fed  with  raw  beef  reared  a  stronger  lot 


MR.   AND    MRS.   ARTHUR   MAYOR'S    BULLDOG    CH.   SILENT  DUCHESS 


THE  BULLDOG  27 

of  puppies,  showing  better  developed  bone,  than  did  the  one 
who  was  fed  on  milk  and  cereals. 

Similarly,  in  order  that  the  puppy,  after  weaning,  may 
develop  plenty  of  bone  and  muscle,  it  is  advisable  to  feed 
once  a  day  upon  finely  minced  raw  meat.  There  are  some 
successful  breeders,  indeed,  who  invariably  give  to  each 
puppy  a  teaspoonful  of  cod  liver  oil  in  the  morning  and  a 
similar  dose  of  extract  of  malt  in  the  evening,  with  the  result 
that  there  are  never  any  rickety  or  weak  dogs  in  the  kennels, 
whilst  the  development  of  the  bones  in  the  skull  and  limbs 
is  most  pronounced. 

Owing  to  their  lethargic  disposition,  young  Bulldogs  are 
somewhat  liable  to  indigestion,  and  during  the  period  of 
puppyhood  it  is  of  advantage  to  give  them  a  tablespoonful 
of  lime  water  once  a  day  in  their  milk  food. 

Many  novices  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  best  time  to  breed  from 
a  Bull  bitch,  seeing  that  oestrum  is  present  before  she  is  fully 
developed.  It  may  be  taken  as  practically  certain  that  it  is 
better  for  her  to  be  allowed  to  breed  at  her  first  heat.  Nature 
has  so  arranged  matters  that  a  Bull  bitch  is  not  firmly  set  in 
her  bones  until  she  reaches  an  age  of  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
months,  and  therefore  she  will  have  less  difficulty  in  giving 
birth  to  her  offspring  if  she  be  allowed  to  breed  at  this  time. 
Great  mortality  occurs  in  attempting  to  breed  from  maiden 
bitches  exceeding  three  years  of  age,  as  the  writer  knows  to 
his  cost. 

It  is  desirable,  in  the  case  of  a  young  bitch  having  her  first 
litter,  for  her  master  or  mistress  to  be  near  her  at  the  time, 
in  order  to  render  any  necessary  assistance  ;  but  such  atten- 
tions should  not  be  given  unless  actual  necessity  arises. 

Some  bitches  with  excessive  lay-back  and  shortness  of  face 
have  at  times  a  difficulty  in  releasing  the  puppy  from  the 
membrane  in  which  it  is  born,  and  in  such  a  case  it  is  necessary 
for  the  owner  to  open  this  covering  and  release  the  puppy, 
gently  shaking  it  about  in  the  box  until  it  coughs  and  begins 
to  breathe. 


28    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  umbilical  cord  should  be  severed  from  the  afterbirth 
about  four  inches  from  the  puppy,  and  this  will  dry  up  and 
fall  away  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  days. 

In  general,  it  is  true  economy  for  the  Bulldog  breeder  to 
provide  a  foster-mother  in  readiness  for  the  birth  of  the  ex- 
pected litter  ;  especially  is  this  so  in  the  case  of  a  first  litter, 
when  the  qualifications  for  nursing  by  the  mother  are  un- 
known. Where  there  are  more  than  five  puppies  it  is  also 
desirable  to  obtain  a  foster-mother  in  order  that  full  nourish- 
ment may  be  given  to  the  litter  by  both  mothers. 

The  best  time  of  the  year  for  puppies  to  be  born  is  in  the 
spring,  when,  owing  to  the  approaching  warm  weather,  they 
can  lead  an  outdoor  life.  By  the  time  they  are  six  months 
old  they  should  have  sufficient  stamina  to  enable  them  to 
withstand  the  cold  of  the  succeeding  winter.  It  has  been 
ascertained  that  Bulldogs  which  have  been  reared  out  of  doors 
are  the  least  liable  to  suffer  from  indigestion,  torpidity  of  the 
liver,  asthma  or  other  chest  ailments,  whilst  they  invariably 
have  the  hardiest  constitution. 

Bulldogs  generally  require  liberal  feeding,  and  should  have 
a  meal  of  dry  biscuit  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  whilst 
the  evening  meal  should  consist  of  a  good  stew  of  butcher's 
offal  poured  over  broken  biscuit,  bread,  or  other  cereal  food. 
In  the  winter  time  it  is  advantageous  to  soak  a  tablespoonful 
of  linseed  in  water  overnight,  and  after  the  pods  have  opened 
to  turn  the  resulting  jelly  into  the  stew  pot.  This  ensures  a 
fine  glossy  coat,  and  is  of  value  in  toning  up  the  intestines. 
Care  must,  however,  be  taken  not  to  follow  this  practice  to 
excess  in  warm  weather,  as  the  heating  nature  of  the  linseed 
will  eventually  cause  skin  trouble. 

With  these  special  points  attended  to,  the  novice  should 
find  no  difficulty  in  successfully  becoming  a  Bulldog  fancier, 
owner,  and  breeder. 

In  conclusion,  it  cannot  be  too  widely  known  that  the 
Bulldog  is  one  of  the  very  few  breeds  which  can,  with 
perfect  safety,  be  trusted  alone  to  the  mercy  of  children, 


THE  BULLDOG  29 

who,  naturally,  in  the  course  of  play,  try  the  patience  and 
good  temper  of  the  firmest  friend  of  man. 

THE   MINIATURE   BULLDOG 

Fifty  or  sixty  years  ago,  Toy — or,  rather,  as  a  recent  edict 
of  the  Kennel  Club  requires  them  to  be  dubbed,  Miniature — 
Bulldogs  were  common  objects  of  the  canine  country-side. 
In  fact,  you  can  hardly  ever  talk  for  ten  minutes  to  any 
Bulldog  breeder  of  old  standing  without  his  telling  you  tall 
stories  of  the  wonderful  little  Bulldogs,  weighing  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  pounds,  he  either  knew  or  owned  in  those 
long-past  days  ! 

Prominent  among  those  who  made  a  cult  of  these  "  bantams  " 
were  the  laceworkers  of  Nottingham,  and  many  prints  are 
extant  which  bear  witness  to  the  excellent  little  specimens 
they  bred.  But  a  wave  of  unpopularity  overwhelmed  them, 
and  they  faded  across  the  Channel  to  France,  where,  if,  as  is 
asserted,  our  Gallic  neighbours  appreciated  them  highly, 
they  cannot  be  said  to  have  taken  much  care  to  preserve  their 
best  points.  When,  in  1898,  a  small  but  devoted  band  of 
admirers  revived  them  in  England,  they  returned  most 
attractive,  'tis  true,  but  hampered  by  many  undesirable 
features,  such  as  bat  ears,  froggy  faces,  waving  tails,  and  a 
general  lack  of  Bulldog  character.  However,  the  Toy  Bull- 
dog Club  then  started,  took  the  dogs  vigorously  in  hand,  and 
thanks  to  unceasing  efforts,  Toy  Bulldogs  have  always 
since  been  catered  for  at  an  ever  increasing  number  of  shows. 
Their  weight,  after  much  heated  discussion  and  sundry  downs 
and  ups,  was  finally  fixed  at  twenty-two  pounds  and  under. 

The  original  aim  of  Miniature  Bulldogs — i.e.  to  look  like  the 
larger  variety  seen  through  the  wrong  end  of  a  telescope — 
if  not  actually  achieved,  is  being  rapidly  approached,  and  can 
no  longer  be  looked  upon  as  merely  the  hopeless  dream  of  a 
few  enthusiasts. 

To  enumerate  in  detail  the  Miniature  Bulldog  scale  of  points 
is  quite  unnecessary,  as  it  is  simply  that  of  the  big  ones 


30    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

writ  small.  In  other  words,  "  the  general  appearance  of  the 
Miniature  Bulldog  must  as  nearly  as  possible  resemble  that 
of  the  Big  Bulldog  " — a  terse  sentence  which  comprises  in 
itself  all  that  can  be  said  on  the  subject. 

As  companions  and  friends  Miniature  Bulldogs  are  faithful, 
fond,  and  even  foolish  in  their  devotion,  as  all  true  friends 
should  be.  They  are  absolutely  and  invariably  good-tem- 
pered, and,  as  a  rule,  sufficiently  fond  of  the  luxuries  of  this 
life — not  to  say  greedy — to  be  easily  cajoled  into  obedience. 
Remarkably  intelligent,  and  caring  enough  for  sport  to  be 
sympathetically  excited  at  the  sight  of  a  rabbit  without 
degenerating  into  cranks  on  the  subject  like  terriers.  Tak- 
ing a  keen  interest  in  all  surrounding  people  and  objects, 
without,  however,  giving  way  to  ceaseless  barking  ;  enjoying 
outdoor  exercise,  without  requiring  an  exhausting  amount, 
they  are  in  every  way  ideal  pets,  and  adapt  themselves  to 
town  and  country  alike. 

As  puppies  they  are  delicate,  and  require  constant  care  and 
supervision  ;  but  that  only  adds  a  keener  zest  to  the  attrac- 
tive task  of  breeding  them,  the  more  so  owing  to  the  fact  that 
as  mothers  they  do  not  shine,  being  very  difficult  to  manage, 
and  generally  manifesting  a  strong  dislike  to  rearing  their 
own  offspring.  In  other  respects  they  are  quite  hardy  little 
dogs,  and — one  great  advantage — they  seldom  have  distemper. 
Cold  and  damp  they  particularly  dislike,  especially  when 
puppies,  and  the  greatest  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  them 
thoroughly  dry  and  warm.  When  very  young  indeed  they 
can  stand,  and  are  the  better  for,  an  extraordinary  amount 
of  heat. 

THE  FRENCH  BULLDOG  (BOULEDOGUE  FRAN^AIS) 

There  appears  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  French  Bulldog 
originated  in  England,  and  is  an  offshoot  of  the  English 
miniature  variety  Bulldog,  not  the  Bulldog  one  sees  on  the 
bench  to-day,  but  of  the  tulip-eared  and  short  underjawed 
specimens  which  were  common  in  London,  Nottingham, 


THE  BULLDOG  31 

Birmingham,  and  Sheffield  in  the  early  'fifties.  There  was  at 
that  time  a  constant  emigration  of  laceworkers  from  Notting- 
ham to  the  coast  towns  of  Normandy,  where  lace  factories 
were  springing  into  existence,  and  these  immigrants  frequently 
took  a  Bulldog  with  them  to  the  land  of  their  adoption.  The 
converse  method  was  also  adopted.  Prior  to  1902  French 
Bulldogs  were  imported  into  this  country  with  the  object  of 
resuscitating  the  strain  of  bantam  Bulldogs,  which  in  course 
of  years  had  been  allowed  to  dwindle  in  numbers,  and  were 
in  danger  of  becoming  extinct. 

There  are  superficial  similarities  between  the  English  and 
the  French  toy  Bulldog,  the  one  distinguishing  characteristic 
being  that  in  the  French  variety  the  ears  are  higher  on  the 
head  and  are  held  erect.  Until  a  few  years  ago  the  two  were 
interbred,  but  disputes  as  to  their  essential  differences  led 
the  Kennel  Club  to  intervene  and  the  types  have  since  been 
kept  rigidly  apart,  the  smart  little  bat-eared  Bulldogs  of 
France  receiving  recognition  under  the  breed  name  of  Boul- 
dogues 


CHAPTER    IV 
THE   ST.   BERNARD 

THE  history  of  the  St.  Bernard  dog  would  not  be  complete 
without  reference  being  made  to  the  noble  work  that  he  has 
done  in  Switzerland,  his  native  land  :  how  the  Hospice  St. 
Bernard  kept  a  considerable  number  of  dogs  which  were 
trained  to  go  over  the  mountains  with  small  barrels  round 
their  necks,  containing  restoratives,  in  the  event  of  their 
coming  across  any  poor  travellers  who  had  either  lost  their 
way,  or  had  been  overcome  by  the  cold.  We  have  been  told 
that  the  intelligent  animals  saved  many  lives  in  this  way, 
the  subjects  of  their  deliverance  often  being  found  entirely 
buried  in  the  snow. 

Handsome  as  the  St.  Bernard  is,  with  his  attractive  colour 
and  markings,  he  is  a  cross-bred  dog.  From  the  records  of 
old  writers  it  is  to  be  gathered  that  to  refill  the  kennels  at  the 
Hospice  which  had  been  rendered  vacant  from  the  combined 
catastrophes  of  distemper  and  the  fall  of  an  avalanche  which 
had  swept  away  nearly  all  their  hounds,  the  monks  were 
compelled  to  have  recourse  to  a  cross  with  the  Newfoundland 
and  the  Pyrenean  sheepdog,  the  latter  not  unlike  the  St. 
Bernard  in  size  and  appearance.  Then,  again,  there  is  no 
doubt  whatever  that  at  some  time  the  Bloodhound  has  been 
introduced,  and  it  is  known  for  a  certainty  that  almost  all 
the  most  celebrated  St.  Bernards  in  England  at  the  present 
time  are  closely  allied  to  the  Mastiff. 

The  result  of  all  this  intermixture  of  different  breeds  has 
been  the  production  of  an  exceedingly  fine  race  of  dogs,  which 
form  one  of  the  most  attractive  features  at  our  dog  shows, 

32 


THE  ST.   BERNARD  33 

and  are  individually  excellent  guards  and  companions.  As 
a  companion,  the  St.  Bernard  cannot  be  surpassed,  when  a 
large  dog  is  required  for  the  purpose.  Most  docile  in  tempera- 
ment and  disposition,  he  is  admirably  suited  as  the  associate 
of  a  lady  or  a  child. 

The  St.  Bernard  is  sensitive  to  a  degree,  and  seldom  forgets 
an  insult,  which  he  resents  with  dignity.  Specimens  of  the 
breed  have  occasionally  been  seen  that  are  savage,  but  when 
this  is  the  case  ill-treatment  of  some  sort  has  assuredly  been 
the  provoking  cause. 

The  dogs  at  the  Hospice  of  St.  Bernard  are  small  in  com- 
parison with  those  that  are  seen  in  England  belonging  to  the 
same  race.  The  Holy  Fathers  were  more  particular  about 
their  markings  than  great  size.  The  body  colour  should  be 
brindle  or  orange  tawny,  with  white  markings  ;  the  muzzle 
white,  with  a  line  running  up  between  the  eyes,  and  over  the 
skull,  joining  at  the  back  the  white  collar  that  encircles  the 
neck  down  to  the  front  of  the  shoulders.  The  colour  round 
the  eyes  and  on  the  ears  should  be  of  a  darker  shade  in  the 
red  ;  in  the  centre  of  the  white  line  at  the  occiput  there  should 
be  a  spot  of  colour.  These  markings  are  said  to  represent 
the  stole,  chasuble  and  scapular  which  form  part  of  the  vest- 
ments worn  by  the  monks  ;  but  it  is  seldom  that  the  markings 
are  so  clearly  denned ;  they  are  more  often  white,  with 
brindle  or  orange  patches  on  the  body,  with  evenly-marked 
heads. 

In  England  St.  Bernards  are  either  distinctly  rough  in  coat 
or  smooth,  but  the  generality  of  the  Hospice  dogs  are  broken 
in  coat,  having  a  texture  between  the  two  extremes.  The 
properties,  however,  of  the  rough  and  smooth  are  the  same, 
so  that  the  two  varieties  are  often  bred  together,  and,  as  a 
rule,  both  textures  of  coat  will  be  the  result  of  the  alliance. 
The  late  M.  Schumacher,  a  great  authority  on  the  breed  in 
Switzerland,  averred  that  dogs  with  very  rough  coats  were 
found  to  be  of  no  use  for  work  on  the  Alps,  as  their  thick 
covering  became  so  loaded  with  snow  and  their  feet  so  clogged 


34          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

that  they  succumbed  under  the  weight  and  perished.     On 
that  account  they  were  discarded  by  the  monks. 

In  connection  with  the  origin  of  the  St.  Bernard,  M.  Schu- 
macher wrote  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Macdona,  who  was  the 
first  to  introduce  the  breed  into  Great  Britain  in  any  numbers  : 
"  According  to  the  tradition  of  the  Holy  Fathers  of  the  Great 
Saint  Bernard,  their  race  descends  from  the  crossing  of  a 
bitch  (a  Bulldog  species)  of  Denmark  and  a  Mastiff  (Shepherd's 
Dog)  of  the  Pyrenees.  The  descendants  of  the  crossing, 
who  have  inherited  from  the  Danish  dog  its  extraordinary 
size  and  bodily  strength,  and  from  the  Pyrenean  Mastiff  the 
intelligence,  the  exquisite  sense  of  smell,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  the  faithfulness  and  sagacity  which  characterise  them, 
have  acquired  in  the  space  of  five  centuries  so  glorious  a 
notoriety  throughout  Europe  that  they  well  merit  the  name 
of  a  distinct  race  for  themselves." 

From  the  same  authority  we  learn  that  it  is  something 
like  six  hundred  years  since  the  St.  Bernard  came  into  exist- 
ence. It  was  not,  however,  till  competitive  exhibitions  for 
dogs  had  been  for  some  years  established  that  the  St.  Bernard 
gained  a  footing  in  Great  Britain.  A  few  specimens  had  been 
imported  from  the  Hospice  before  Mr.  Gumming  Macdona 
(then  the  Rev.  Gumming  Macdona)  introduced  us  to  the 
celebrated  Tell,  who,  with  others  of  the  breed  brought  from 
Switzerland,  formed  the  foundation  of  his  magnificent  kennel 
at  West  Kirby,  in  Cheshire.  Albert  Smith,  whom  some 
few  that  are  now  alive  will  remember  as  an  amusing  lecturer, 
brought  a  pair  from  the  Hospice  when  returning  from 
a  visit  to  the  Continent  and  made  them  take  a  part 
in  his  attractive  entertainment ;  but  the  associations  of 
the  St.  Bernard  with  the  noble  deeds  recorded  in  history 
were  not  then  so  widely  known,  and  these  two  dogs 
passed  away  without  having  created  any  particular 
enthusiasm. 

Later  on,  at  a  dog  show  at  Cremorne  held  in  1863,  two  St. 
Bernards  were  exhibited,  each  of  whom  rejoiced  in  the  name 


THE  ST.   BERNARD  35 

of  Monk,  and  were,  respectively,  the  property  of  the  Rev. 
A.  N.  Bate  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Stone.  These  dogs  were  exhibited 
without  pedigrees,  but  were  said  to  have  been  bred  at  the 
Hospice  of  St.  Bernard.  Three  years  later,  at  the  National 
Show  at  Birmingham,  a  separate  class  was  provided  for  the 
saintly  breed,  and  Mr.  Gumming  Macdona  was  first  and 
second  with  Tell  and  Bernard.  This  led  to  an  immediate 
popularity  of  the  St.  Bernard.  But  Tell  was  the  hero  of 
the  shows  at  which  he  appeared,  and  his  owner  was  recognised 
as  being  the  introducer  into  this  country  of  the  magnificent 
variety  of  the  canine  race  that  now  holds  such  a  prominent 
position  as  a  show  dog. 

The  names  of  Tell  and  Bernard  have  been  handed  down 
to  fame,  the  former  as  the  progenitor  of  a  long  line  of  rough- 
coated  offspring ;  the  latter  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
famous  Shefford  Kennel,  kept  by  Mr.  Fred  Gresham,  who 
probably  contributed  more  to  the  perfecting  of  the  St.  Bernard 
than  any  other  breeder.  His  Birnie,  Monk,  Abbess,  Grosvenor 
Hector,  and  Shah  are  names  which  appear  in  the  pedigrees 
of  most  of  the  best  dogs  of  more  recent  times.  When  Mr. 
Gresham  drew  his  long  record  of  success  to  a  close  there  came 
a  lull  in  the  popularity  of  the  breed  until  Dr.  Inman,  in  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  B.  Walmsley,  established  a  kennel  first  at 
Barford,  near  Bath,  and  then  at  The  Priory,  at  Bowden,  in 
Cheshire,  where  they  succeeded  in  breeding  the  finest  kennel 
of  St.  Bernards  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  the  world.  Dr. 
Inman  had  for  several  years  owned  good  dogs,  and  set  about 
the  work  on  scientific  principles.  He,  in  conjunction  with 
Mr.  Walmsley,  purchased  the  smooth-coated  Kenilworth 
from  Mr.  Loft,  bred  that  dog's  produce  with  a  brindle  Mastiff 
of  high  repute,  and  then  crossed  back  to  his  St.  Bernards 
with  the  most  successful  results.  Dr.  Inman  was  instrumental 
in  forming  the  National  St.  Bernard  Club,  which  was  soon 
well  supported  with  members,  and  now  has  at  its  disposal 
a  good  collection  of  valuable  challenge  cups.  The  dogs 
bred  at  Bowden  carried  all  before  them  in  the  show  ring, 


36    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  were  continually  in  request  for  stud  purposes,  improving 
the  breed  to  a  remarkable  extent. 

At  the  disposal  of  Messrs.  Inman  and  Walmsley's  kennel, 
there  were  such  admirable  dogs  as  the  rough-coated  Wolfram 
— from  whom  were  bred  Tannhauser,  Narcissus,  Leontes 
and  Klingsor — the  smooth-coated  dogs,  the  King's  Son  and 
The  Viking ;  the  rough-coated  bitch,  Judith  Inman,  and 
the  smooth  Viola,  the  last-named  the  finest  specimen  of  her 
sex  that  has  probably  ever  been  seen.  These  dogs  and  bitches, 
with  several  others,  were  dispersed  all  over  England,  with 
the  exception  of  Klingsor,  who  went  to  South  Africa. 

Almost  all  the  best  St.  Bernards  in  Great  Britain  at  the 
present  time  have  been  bred  or  are  descended  from  the  Bowden 
dogs. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  the  St.  Bernard  as 
drawn  up  by  the  members  of  the  St.  Bernard  Club  : 

Head — The  head  should  be  large  and  massive,  the  circumference  of 
the  skull  being  more  than  double  the  length  of  the  head  from  nose  to 
occiput.  From  stop  to  tip  of  nose  should  be  moderately  short ;  full 
below  the  eye  and  square  at  the  muzzle  ;  there  should  be  great  depth 
from  the  eye  to  the  lower  jaw,  and  the  lips  should  be  deep  throughout, 
but  not  too  pendulous.  From  the  nose  to  the  stop  should  be  straight, 
and  the  stop  abrupt  and  well  defined.  The  skull  should  be  broad  and 
rounded  at  the  top,  but  not  domed,  with  somewhat  prominent  brow. 
Ears — The  ears  should  be  of  medium  size,  lying  close  to  the  cheek,  but 
strong  at  the  base  and  not  heavily  feathered.  Eyes — The  eyes  should 
be  rather  small  and  deep  set,  dark  in  colour  and  not  too  close  together  ; 
the  lower  eyelid  should  droop,  so  as  to  show  a  fair  amount  of  haw. 
Nose — The  nose  should  be  large  and  black,  with  well  developed  nostrils. 
The  teeth  should  be  level.  Expression — The  expression  should  betoken 
benevolence,  dignity,  and  intelligence.  Neck — The  neck  should  be 
lengthy,  muscular,  and  slightly  arched,  with  dewlap  developed,  and 
the  shoulders  broad  and  sloping,  well  up  at  the  withers.  General 
Description  of  Body — The  chest  should  be  wide  and  deep,  and  the  back 
level  as  far  as  the  haunches,  slightly  arched  over  the  loins  ;  the  ribs 
should  be  well  rounded  and  carried  well  back  ;  the  loin  wide  and  very 
muscular.  Tall — The  tail  should  be  set  on  rather  high,  long,  and  in  the 
long-coated  variety  bushy  ;  carried  low  when  in  repose,  and  when 
excited  or  in  motion  slightly  above  the  line  of  the  back.  Legs — The 
fore-legs  should  be  perfectly  straight,  strong  in  bone,  and  of  good  length  ; 
and  the  hind-legs  very  muscular.  The  feet  large,  compact,  with  well- 
arched  toes.  Size — A  dog  should  be  at  least  30  inches  in  height  at  the 
shoulder,  and  a  bitch  27  inches  (the  taller  the  better,  provided  the 
symmetry  is  maintained) ;  thoroughly  well  proportioned,  and  of  great 


THE  ST.   BERNARD  37 

substance.  The  general  outline  should  suggest  great  power  and 
capability  of  endurance.  Coat — In  the  long-coated  variety  the  coat 
should  be  dense  and  flat ;  rather  fuller  round  the  neck  ;  the  thighs 
feathered  but  not  too  heavily.  In  the  short-coated  variety,  the  coat 
should  be  dense,  hard,  flat,  and  short,  slightly  feathered  on  thighs  and 
tail.  Colour  and  Markings — The  colour  should  be  red,  orange,  various 
shades  of  brindle  (the  richer  colour  the  better),  or  white  with  patches 
on  body  of  one  of  the  above  named  colours.  The  markings  should  be 
as  follows  :  white  muzzle,  white  blaze  up  face,  white  collar  round  neck  ; 
white  chest,  forelegs,  feet,  and  end  of  tail ;  black  shadings  on  face  and 
ears.  If  the  blaze  be  wide  and  runs  through  to  the  collar,  a  spot  of  the 
body  colour  on  the  top  of  the  head  is  desirable. 

The  weight  of  a  dog  should  be  from  170  Ibs.  to  210  Ibs.  ;  of  a  bitch 
160  Ibs.  to  190  Ibs. 

During  the  past  twenty-five  years  St.  Bernards  have  been 
bred  in  this  country  very  much  taller  and  heavier  than  they 
were  in  the  days  of  Tell,  Hope,  Moltke,  Monk,  Hector,  and 
Othman.  Not  one  of  these  measured  over  32  inches  in  height, 
or  scaled  over  180  Ibs.,  but  the  increased  height  and  greater 
weight  of  the  more  modern  production  have  been  obtained 
by  forcing  them  as  puppies  and  by  fattening  them  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  have  been  injured  in  constitution,  and 
in  many  cases  converted  into  cripples  behind.  The  prize- 
winning  rough-coated  St.  Bernard,  as  he  is  seen  to-day  is 
a  purely  manufactured  animal,  handsome  in  appearance 
certainly,  but  so  cumbersome  that  he  is  scarcely  able  to 
raise  a  trot,  let  alone  do  any  tracking  in  the  snow.  Usefulness, 
however,  is  not  a  consideration  with  breeders,  who  have 
reared  the  dog  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  show  ring.  There 
is  still  much  left  to  be  desired,  and  there  is  room  for  con- 
siderable improvement,  as  only  a  few  of  the  more  modern 
dogs  of  the  breed  approach  the  standard  drawn  up  by  the 
Clubs  that  are  interested  in  their  welfare. 


CHAPTER    V 
THE    NEWFOUNDLAND 

THE  dogs  which  take  their  name  from  the  island  of  New- 
foundland appeal  to  all  lovers  of  animals,  romance,  and 
beauty.  A  Newfoundland  formed  the  subject  of  perhaps 
the  most  popular  picture  painted  by  Sir  Edwin  Landseer ;  a 
monument  was  erected  by  Byron  over  the  grave  of  his  New- 
foundland in  proximity  to  the  place  where  the  poet  himself 
hoped  to  be  buried,  at  Newstead  Abbey,  and  the  inscription 
on  his  monument  contains  the  lines  so  frequently  quoted  : 

"But  the  poor  dog  in  life  the  firmest  friend, 
The  first  to  welcome,  foremost  to  defend, 
Whose  honest  heart  is  still  his  master's  own, 
Who  labours,  fights,  lives,  breathes  for  him  alone. 

To  mark  a  friend's  remains  these  stones  arise : 
I  never  knew  but  one,  and  here  he  lies." 

Robert  Burns,  also,  in  his  poem,  "  The  Twa  Dogs,"  written 
in  1786,  refers  to  a  Newfoundland  as  being  an  aristocrat 
among  dogs.  Doubtless,  other  breeds  of  dogs  have  been 
the  subjects  of  popular  pictures  and  have  had  their  praises 
sung  by  poets,  but  the  Newfoundlands  have  yet  a  further 
honour,  unique  amongst  dogs,  in  being  the  subject  for  a 
postage  stamp  of  their  native  land.  All  these  distinctions 
and  honours  have  not  been  conferred  without  reason,  for 
no  breed  of  dogs  has  greater  claim  to  the  title  of  friend  of 
man,  and  it  has  become  famous  for  its  known  readiness  and 
ability  to  save  persons  in  danger,  especially  from  drowning. 
It  is  strong  and  courageous  in  the  water,  and  on  land  a  properly 
trained  Newfoundland  is  an  ideal  companion  and  guard. 

38 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  39 

Innumerable  are  the  accounts  of  Newfoundlands  having 
proved  their  devotion  to  their  owners,  and  of  the  many  lives 
saved  by  them  in  river  and  sea  ;  and  when  Sir  Edwin  Landseer 
selected  one  of  the  breed  as  the  subject  of  his  picture  entitled, 
"  A  Distinguished  Member  of  the  Humane  Society,"  he  was 
justified  not  only  by  the  sentiment  attaching  to  this  re- 
markable race  of  dogs,  but  also  by  the  deeds  by  which  New- 
foundlands have  made  good  their  claim  to  such  great  distinc- 
tion, and  the  popular  recognition  of  this,  no  doubt,  in  some 
degree  added  to  the  great  esteem  in  which  this  painting  has 
always  been  held. 

The  picture  was  painted  in  1838,  and,  as  almost  everyone 
knows,  represents  a  white  and  black  Newfoundland.  The 
dog  portrayed  was  typical  of  the  breed,  and  after  a  lapse 
of  over  seventy  years,  the  painting  has  now  the  added  value 
of  enabling  us  to  make  a  comparison  with  specimens  of  the 
breed  as  it  exists  to-day.  Such  a  comparison  will  show  that 
among  the  best  dogs  now  living  are  some  which  might  have 
been  the  model  for  this  picture.  It  is  true  that  in  the  interval 
the  white  and  black  Newfoundlands  have  been  coarser, 
heavier,  higher  on  the  legs,  with  an  expression  denoting 
excitability  quite  foreign  to  the  true  breed,  but  these  de- 
partures from  Newfoundland  character  are  passing  away 
— it  is  to  be  hoped  for  good.  The  breed  is  rapidly  returning 
to  the  type  which  Landseer's  picture  represents — a  dog  of 
great  beauty,  dignity,  and  benevolence  of  character,  showing 
in  its  eyes  an  almost  human  pathos. 

Some  twenty-five  to  thirty  years  ago  there  was  considerable 
discussion  among  owners  of  Newfoundlands  in  this  country 
as  to  the  proper  colour  of  the  true  breed,  and  there  were 
many  persons  who  claimed,  as  some  still  claim,  that  the  black 
variety  is  the  only  true  variety,  and  that  the  white  and  black 
colouring  indicates  a  cross-breed.  Again  Landseer's  picture 
is  of  value,  because,  in  the  first  place,  we  may  be  almost 
certain  that  he  would  have  selected  for  such  a  picture  a 
typical  dog  of  the  breed,  and,  secondly,  because  the  picture 


40          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

shows,  nearly  half  a  century  prior  to  the  discussion,  a  white 
and  black  dog,  typical  in  nearly  every  respect,  except  colour, 
of  the  black  Newfoundland.  There  is  no  appearance  of 
cross-breeding  in  Landseer's  dog  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  reveals 
all  the  characteristics  of  a  thoroughbred.  Seventy  years 
ago,  therefore,  the  white  and  black  variety  may  be  fairly 
considered  to  have  been  established,  and  it  is  worthy  of 
mention  here  that  "  Idstone  "  quoted  an  article  written  in 
1819  stating  that  back  in  the  eighteenth  century  Newfound- 
lands were  large,  rough-coated,  liver  and  white  dogs.  It  is 
clear,  also,  that  in  1832  Newfoundlands  in  British  North 
America  were  of  various  colours.  Additional  evidence, 
too,  is  provided,  in  the  fact  that  when  selecting  the  type  of 
head  for  their  postage  stamp  the  Government  of  Newfoundland 
chose  the  Landseer  dog.  Therefore,  there  are  very  strong 
arguments  against  the  claim  that  the  true  variety  is  essentially 
black. 

However  that  may  be,  there  are  now  two  established 
varieties,  the  black  and  the  white  and  black.  There  are  also 
bronze-coloured  dogs,  but  they  are  rare  and  are  not  favoured. 
It  is  stated,  however,  that  puppies  of  that  colour  are  generally 
the  most  promising  in  all  other  respects. 

The  black  variety  of  the  Newfoundland  is  essentially  black 
in  colour  ;  but  this  does  not  mean  that  there  may  be  no  other 
colour,  for  most  black  Newfoundlands  have  some  white  marks, 
and  these  are  not  considered  objectionable,  so  long  as  they 
are  limited  to  white  hairs  on  the  chest,  toes,  or  the  tip  of  the 
tail.  In  fact,  a  white  marking  on  the  chest  is  said  to  be 
typical  of  the  true  breed.  Any  white  on  the  head  or  body 
would  place  the  dog  in  the  other  than  black  variety.  The 
black  colour  should  preferably  be  of  a  dull  jet  appearance 
which  approximates  to  brown.  In  the  other  than  black 
class,  there  may  be  black  and  tan,  bronze,  and  white  and 
black.  The  latter  predominates,  and  in  this  colour,  beauty 
of  marking  is  very  important.  The  head  should  be  black 
with  a  white  muzzle  and  blaze,  and  the  body  and  legs  should 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  41 

be  white  with  large  patches  of  black  on  the  saddle  and  quarters, 
with  possibly  other  small  black  spots  on  the  body  and  legs. 

Apart  from  colour,  the  varieties  should  conform  to  the 
same  standard.  The  head  should  be  broad  and  massive, 
but  in  no  sense  heavy  in  appearance.  The  muzzle  should 
be  short,  square,  and  clean  cut,  eyes  rather  wide  apart,  deep 
set,  dark  and  small,  not  showing  any  haw ;  ears  small,  with 
close  side  carriage,  covered  with  fine  short  hair  (there  should 
be  no  fringe  to  the  ears),  expression  full  of  intelligence,  dignity, 
and  kindness. 

The  body  should  be  long,  square,  and  massive,  loins  strong 
and  well  filled  ;  chest  deep  and  broad  ;  legs  quite  straight, 
somewhat  short  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  the  body,  and 
powerful,  with  round  bone  well  covered  with  muscle ;  feet  large, 
round,  and  close.  The  tail  should  be  only  long  enough  to 
reach  just  below  the  hocks,  free  from  kink,  and  never  curled 
over  the  back.  The  quality  of  the  coat  is  very  important ; 
the  coat  should  be  very  dense,  with  plenty  of  undercoat  ; 
the  outer  coat  somewhat  harsh  and  quite  straight.  A  curly 
coat  is  very  objectionable.  A  dog  with  a  good  coat  may  be 
in  the  water  for  a  considerable  time  without  getting  wet  on 
the  skin. 

The  appearance  generally  should  indicate  a  dog  of  great 
strength,  and  very  active  for  his  build  and  size,  moving  freely 
with  the  body  swung  loosely  between  the  legs,  which  gives 
a  slight  roll  in  gait.  This  has  been  compared  to  a  sailor's 
roll,  and  is  typical  of  the  breed. 

As  regards  size,  the  Newfoundland  Club  standard  gives 
140  Ibs.  to  120  Ibs.  weight  for  a  dog,  and  no  Ibs.  to  120  Ibs. 
for  a  bitch,  with  an  average  height  at  the  shoulder  of  27  inches 
and  25  inches  respectively ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  dogs 
in  proper  condition  do  conform  to  both  requirements.  At 
any  rate,  the  writer  is  unable  to  trace  any  prominent  New- 
foundlands which  do,  and  it  would  be  safe  to  assume  that  for 
dogs  of  the  weights  specified,  the  height  should  be  quite 
29  inches  for  dogs,  and  27  inches  for  bitches.  A  dog  weighing 


42          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

150  Ibs.  and  measuring  29  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder 
would  necessarily  be  long  in  body  to  be  in  proportion,  and 
would  probably  much  nearer  approach  the  ideal  form  of  a 
Newfoundland  than  a  taller  dog. 

In  that  respect  Newfoundlands  have  very  much  improved 
during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  Twenty-five  years  ago, 
the  most  noted  dogs  were  stated  as  a  rule  to  be  well  over 
30  inches  in  height,  but  their  weight  for  height  would  indicate 
legginess,  which  is  an  abomination  in  a  Newfoundland.  A 
29-inch  Newfoundland  is  quite  tall  enough,  and  even  that  height 
should  not  be  gained  at  the  expense  of  type  and  symmetry. 

The  white  and  black  variety  are,  as  a  rule,  slightly  taller, 
smaller  in  loin  and  longer  in  head,  but  these  differences  in  the 
two  varieties  are  being  rapidly  removed,  and  at  no  distant 
date  the  white  and  black  variety  will  probably  be  as  correct 
in  type  and  symmetry  as  the  black  variety  now  is. 

For  very  many  years  the  black  variety  has  been  the  better  in 
type ;  and  in  breeding,  if  blacks  are  desired,  it  will  be  safer 
as  a  general  rule  to  insist  upon  the  absence  of  white  and  black 
blood  in  any  of  the  immediate  ancestors  of  the  sire  and  dam. 
But  if,  on  the  contrary,  white  and  black  dogs  are  required, 
the  proper  course  is  to  make  judicious  crosses  between  the 
black  and  white,  and  black  varieties,  and  destroy  any  black 
puppies,  unless  they  are  required  for  further  crosses  with 
white  and  black  blood.  In  any  case  the  first  cross  is  likely 
to  produce  both  black  and  mis-marked  white  and  black 
puppies  ;  but  the  latter,  if  bred  back  to  the  white  and  black 
blood,  would  generally  produce  well-marked  white  and  black 
Newfoundlands. 

In  mating,  never  be  guided  solely  by  the  good  points  of  the 
dog  and  bitch.  It  is  very  desirable  that  they  should  both 
have  good  points,  the  more  good  ones  the  better,  but  it  is 
more  important  to  ensure  that  they  are  dissimilar  in  their 
defects,  and,  if  possible,  that  in  neither  case  is  there  a  very 
objectionable  defect,  especially  if  such  defect  was  also  apparent 
in  the  animal's  sire  or  dam. 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  43 

It  is,  therefore,  important  to  study  what  were  the  good, 
and  still  more  so  the  bad,  points  in  the  parents  and  grand- 
parents. If  you  do  not  know  these,  other  Newfoundland 
breeders  will  willingly  give  information,  and  any  trouble 
involved  in  tracing  the  knowledge  required  will  be  amply 
repaid  in  the  results,  and  probably  save  great  disappointment. 

When  rearing  puppies  give  them  soft  food,  such  as  well- 
boiled  rice  and  milk,  as  soon  as  they  will  lap,  and,  shortly 
afterwards,  scraped  lean  meat.  Newfoundland  puppies 
require  plenty  of  meat  to  induce  proper  growth.  The  puppies 
should  increase  in  weight  at  the  rate  of  3  Ibs.  a  week,  and  this 
necessitates  plenty  of  flesh,  bone  and  muscle-forming  food, 
plenty  of  meat,  both  raw  and  cooked.  Milk  is  also  good, 
but  it  requires  to  be  strengthened  with  Plasmon,  or  casein. 
The  secret  of  growing  full-sized  dogs  with  plenty  of  bone  and 
substance  is  to  get  a  good  start  from  birth,  good  feeding, 
warm,  dry  quarters,  and  freedom  for  the  puppies  to  move 
about  and  exercise  themselves  as  they  wish.  Forced  exercise 
may  make  them  go  wrong  on  their  legs.  Medicine  should  not 
be  required  except  for  worms,  and  the  puppies  should  be 
physicked  for  these  soon  after  they  are  weaned,  and  again 
when  three  or  four  months  old,  or  before  that  if  they  are  not 
thriving.  If  free  from  worms,  Newfoundland  puppies  will 
be  found  quite  hardy,  and,  under  proper  conditions  of  food 
and  quarters,  they  are  easy  to  rear. 


CHAPTER    VI 
THE    GREAT   DANE 

THE  origin  of  the  Great  Dane,  b'ke  that  of  many  other  varie- 
ties of  dogs,  is  so  obscure  that  all  researches  have  only  resulted 
in  speculative  theories,  but  the  undoubted  antiquity  of  this 
dog  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  representatives  of  a  breed 
sufficiently  similar  to  be  considered  his  ancestors  are  found 
on  some  of  the  oldest  Egyptian  monuments. 

A  few  years  ago  a  controversy  arose  on  the  breed's  proper 
designation,  when  the  Germans  claimed  for  it  the  title 
"  Deutsche  Dogge."  Germany  had  several  varieties  of  big 
dogs,  such  as  the  Hatzriide,  Saufanger,  Ulmer  Dogge,  and 
Rottweiler  Metzgerhund ;  but  contemporaneously  with 
these  there  existed,  as  in  other  countries  in  Europe,  another 
very  big  breed,  but  much  nobler  and  more  thoroughbred, 
known  as  the  Great  Dane.  When  after  the  war  of  1870 
national  feeling  was  pulsating  very  strongly  in  the  veins  of  re- 
united Germany,  the  German  cynologists  were  on  the  look- 
out for  a  national  dog,  and  for  that  purpose  the  Great  Dane 
was  re-christened  "  Deutsche  Dogge,"  and  elected  as  the 
champion  of  German  Dogdom.  For  a  long  time  all  these 
breeds  had,  no  doubt,  been  indiscriminately  crossed. 

The  Great  Dane  was  introduced  into  this  country  spas- 
modically some  thirty-five  years  ago,  when  he  was  commonly 
referred  to  as  the  Boarhound,  or  the  German  Mastiff,  and  for 
a  time  the  breed  had  to  undergo  a  probationary  period  in  the 
"  Foreign  Class  "  at  dog  shows,  but  it  soon  gained  in  public 
favour,  and  in  the  early  'eighties  a  Great  Dane  Club  was 
formed,  and  the  breed  has  since  become  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  the  larger  dogs. 

44 


THE  GREAT  DANE  45 

The  Kennel  Club  has  classed  the  Great  Dane  amongst  the 
Non-Sporting  dogs,  probably  because  with  us  he  cannot 
find  a  quarry  worthy  of  his  mettle  ;  but,  for  all  that,  he  has 
the  instincts  and  qualifications  of  a  sporting  dog,  and  he  has 
proved  himself  particularly  valuable  for  hunting  big  game  in 
hot  climates,  which  he  stands  very  well. 

Respecting  the  temperament  of  the  Great  Dane  and  his 
suitability  as  a  companion  writers  have  gone  to  extremes  in 
praise  and  condemnation.  In  his  favour  it  must  be  said  that 
in  natural  intelligence  he  is  surpassed  by  very  few  other 
dogs.  He  has  a  most  imposing  figure,  and  does  not,  like  some 
other  big  breeds,  slobber  from  his  mouth,  which  is  a  parti- 
cularly unpleasant  peculiarity  when  a  dog  is  kept  in  the 
house.  On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  admitted  that  with  al- 
most the  strength  of  a  tiger  he  combines  the  excitability  of  a 
terrier,  and  no  doubt  a  badly  trained  Great  Dane  is  a  very 
dangerous  animal.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  teach  him  in  the 
haphazard  way  which  might  be  successful  in  getting  a  small 
dog  under  control,  but  even  as  a  companion  he  ought  to  be 
trained  systematically,  and,  considering  his  marked  intelli- 
gence, this  is  not  difficult  of  accomplishment. 

The  Great  Dane  attains  his  full  development  in  about  a 
year  and  a  half  to  two  years,  and,  considering  that  puppies 
have  to  build  up  in  that  time  a  very  big  skeleton  and  straight 
limbs,  special  attention  must  be  given  to  the  rearing  of  them. 
The  dam  whelps  frequently  eight  puppies,  and  sometimes 
even  a  few  more.  Mr.  Larke's  Princess  Thor  had  a  litter  of 
seventeen,  but  even  eight  is  too  great  a  number  for  a  bitch 
to  suckle  in  a  breed  where  great  size  is  a  desideratum.  Not 
more  than  four,  or  at  the  outside  five,  should  be  left  with  the 
bitch ;  the  others  should  be  put  to  a  foster  mother,  or  if  they 
are  weaklings  or  foul-marked,  it  is  best  to  destroy  them. 
After  the  puppies  are  weaned,  their  food  should  be  of  bone- 
making  quality,  and  they  require  ample  space  for  exercise 
and  play.  Nothing  is  worse  than  to  take  the  youngsters  for 
forced  marches  before  their  bones  have  become  firm. 


46          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Before  giving  the  description  and  standard  which  have  been 
adopted  by  the  Great  Dane  Clubs,  a  few  remarks  on  some  of 
the  leading  points  will  be  useful.  The  general  characteristic 
of  the  Great  Dane  is  a  combination  of  grace  and  power,  and 
therefore  the  lightness  of  the  Greyhound,  as  well  as  the  heavi- 
ness of  the  Mastiff,  must  be  avoided. 

The  head  should  be  powerful,  but  at  the  same  time  show 
quality  by  its  nice  modelling. 

The  eyes  should  be  intelligent  and  vivacious,  but  not  have 
the  hard  expression  of  the  terrier.  The  distance  between 
the  eyes  is  of  great  importance ;  if  too  wide  apart  they  give 
the  dog  a  stupid  appearance,  and  if  too  close  he  has  a  treacher- 
ous look. 

Another  very  important  point  is  the  graceful  carriage  of 
the  tail.  When  it  is  curled  over  the  back  it  makes  an  other- 
wise handsome  dog  look  mean,  and  a  tail  that  curls  at  the 
end  like  a  corkscrew  is  also  very  ugly.  In  former  times 
"  faking  "  was  not  infrequently  resorted  to  to  correct  a  faulty 
tail  carriage,  but  it  is  easily  detected.  Great  Danes  sometimes 
injure  the  end  of  the  tail  by  hitting  it  against  a  hard  substance, 
and  those  with  a  good  carriage  of  tail  are  most  liable  to  this 
because  in  excitement  they  slash  it  about,  whereas  the  faulty 
position  of  the  tail,  curled  over  the  back,  insures  immunity 
from  harm. 

Until  recently  British  Great  Dane  breeders  and  exhibitors 
have  paid  very  little  attention  to  colour,  on  the  principle  that, 
like  a  good  horse,  a  good  Great  Dane  cannot  be  a  bad  colour. 
The  English  clubs,  however,  have  now  in  this  particular  also 
adopted  the  German  standard.  The  orthodox  colours  are 
brindle,  fawn,  blue,  black,  and  harlequin.  In  the  brindle 
dogs  the  ground  colour  should  be  any  shade  from  light  yellow 
to  dark  red-yellow  on  which  the  brindle  appears  in  darker 
stripes.  The  harlequins  have  on  a  pure  white  ground  fairly 
large  black  patches,  which  must  be  of  irregular  shape,  broken 
up  as  if  they  had  been  torn,  and  not  have  rounded  outlines. 
When  brindle  Great  Danes  are  continuously  bred  together, 


THE  GREAT  DANE  47 

it  has  been  found  that  they  get  darker,  and  that  the  peculiar 
"  striping  "  disappears,  and  in  that  case  the  introduction  of  a 
good  fawn  into  the  strain  is  advisable.  The  constant  mating 
of  harlequins  has  the  tendency  to  make  the  black  patches 
disappear,  and  the  union  with  a  good  black  Great  Dane  will 
prevent  the  loss  of  colour. 

The   following   is   the   official   description   issued   by   the 
Great  Dane  Club : — 

General  Appearance — The  Great  Dane  is  not  so  heavy  or  massive 
as  the  Mastiff,  nor  should  he  too  nearly  approach  the  Greyhound  type. 
Remarkable  in  size  and  very  muscular,  strongly  though  elegantly  built ; 
the  head  and  neck  should  be  carried  high,  and  the  tail  in  line  with  the 
back,  or  slightly  upwards,  but  not  curled  over  the  hind-quarters. 
Elegance  of  outline  and  grace  of  form  are  most  essential  to  a  Dane  ; 
size  is  absolutely  necessary  ;  but  there  must  be  that  alertness  of  ex- 
pression and  briskness  of  movement  without  which  the  Dane  character 
is  lost.  He  should  have  a  look  of  dash  and  daring,  of  being  ready  to 
go  anywhere  and  do  anything.  Temperament — The  Great  Dane  is 
good-tempered,  affectionate,  and  faithful  to  his  master,  not  demon- 
strative with  strangers  ;  intelligent,  courageous,  and  always  alert. 
His  value  as  a  guard  is  unrivalled.  He  is  easily  controlled  when  well 
trained,  but  he  may  grow  savage  if  confined  too  much,  kept  on  chain, 
or  ill  treated.  Height — The  minimum  height  of  an  adult  dog  should 
be  30  ins.  ;  that  of  a  bitch,  28  ins.  Weight — The  minimum  weight  of 
an  adult  dog  should  be  120  Ibs.  ;  that  of  a  bitch,  100  Ibs.  The  greater 
height  and  weight  to  be  preferred,  provided  that  quality  and  proportion 
are  also  combined.  Head — Taken  altogether,  the  head  should  give 
the  idea  of  great  length  and  strength  of  jaw.  The  muzzle,  or  foreface, 
is  broad,  and  the  skull  proportionately  narrow,  so  that  the  whole  head, 
when  viewed  from  above  and  in  front,  has  the  appearance  of  equal 
breadth  throughout.  Length  of  Head — The  entire  length  of  head  varies 
with  the  height  of  the  dog,  13  ins.  from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  back 
of  the  occiput  is  a  good  measurement  for  a  dog  of  32  ins.  at  the  shoulder. 
The  length  from  the  end  of  the  nose  to  the  point  between  the  eyes  should 
be  about  equal,  or  preferably  of  greater  length  than  from  this  point 
to  the  back  of  the  occiput.  Skull — The  skull  should  be  flat  rather  than 
domed,  and  have  a  slight  indentation  running  up  the  centre,  the 
occipital  peak  not  prominent.  There  should  be  a  decided  rise  or  brow 
over  the  eyes,  but  no  abrupt  stop  between  them.  Face — The  face 
should  be  chiselled  well  and  foreface  long,  of  equal  depth  throughout, 
and  well  filled  in  below  the  eyes  with  no  appearance  of  being  pinched. 
Muscles  of  the  Cheek — The  muscles  of  the  cheeks  should  be  quite  flat, 
with  no  lumpiness  or  cheek  bumps,  the  angle  of  the  jaw-bone  well 
defined.  Lips — The  lips  should  hang  quite  square  in  front,  forming  a 
right  angle  with  the  upper  line  of  foreface.  Underline — The  underline 
of  the  head,  viewed  in  profile,  runs  almost  in  a  straight  line  from  the 
corner  of  the  lip  to  the  corner  of  the  jawbone,  allowing  for  the  fold  of  the 


48         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

lip,  but  with  no  loose  skin  to  hang  down.  Jaw — The  lower  jaw  should 
be  about  level,  or  at  any  rate  not  project  more  than  the  sixteenth  of  an 
inch.  Nose  and  Nostrils — The  bridge  of  the  nose  should  be  very  wide, 
with  a  slight  ridge  where  the  cartilage  joins  the  bone.  (This  is  quite 
a  characteristic  of  the  breed.)  The  nostrils  should  be  large,  wide, 
and  open,  giving  a  blunt  look  to  the  nose.  A  butterfly  or  flesh-coloured 
nose  is  not  objected  to  in  harlequins.  Ears — The  ears  should  be  small, 
set  high  on  the  skull,  and  carried  slightly  erect,  with  the  tips  falling 
forward.  Neck — Next  to  the  head,  the  neck  is  one  of  the  chief  char- 
acteristics. It  should  be  long,  well  arched,  and  quite  clean  and  free 
from  loose  skin,  held  well  up,  snakelike  in  carriage,  well  set  in  the 
shoulders,  and  the  junction  of  head  and  neck  well  defined.  Shoulders 
— The  shoulders  should  be  muscular  but  not  loaded,  and  well  sloped 
back,  with  the  elbows  well  under  the  body,  so  that,  when  viewed  in 
front,  the  dog  does  not  stand  too  wide.  Fore-legs  and  Feet — The  fore- 
legs should  be  perfectly  straight,  with  big  flat  bone.  The  feet  large 
and  round,  the  toes  well  arched  and  close,  the  nails  strong  and  curved. 
Body — The  body  is  very  deep,  with  ribs  well  sprung  and  belly  well 
drawn  up.  Back  and  Loins — The  back  and  loins  are  strong,  the  latter 
slightly  arched,  as  in  the  Greyhound.  Hind-Quarters — The  hind-quar- 
ters and  thighs  are  extremely  muscular,  giving  the  idea  of  great  strength 
and  galloping  power.  The  second  thigh  is  long  and  well  developed 
as  in  a  Greyhound,  and  the  hocks  set  low,  turning  neither  out  nor  in. 
Tall — The  tail  is  strong  at  the  root  and  ends  in  a  fine  point,  reaching  to 
or  just  below  the  hocks.  It  should  be  carried,  when  the  dog  is  in 
action,  in  a  straight  line  level  with  the  back,  slightly  curved  towards 
the  end,  but  should  not  curl  over  the  back.  Coat — The  hair  is  short 
and  dense,  and  sleek-looking,  and  in  no  case  should  it  incline  to  coarse- 
ness. Gait  or  Action — The  gait  should  be  lithe,  springy,  and  free, 
the  action  high.  The  hocks  should  move  very  freely,  and  the  head 
should  be  held  well  up.  Colour — The  colours  are  brindle,  fawn,  blue, 
black,  and  harlequin.  The  harlequin  should  have  jet  black  patches 
and  spots  on  a  pure  white  ground  ;  grey  patches  are  admissible  but 
not  desired  ;  but  fawn  or  brindle  shades  are  objectionable. 


CHAPTER   VII 
THE   DALMATIAN 

BEFORE  the  Kennel  Club  found  it  necessary  to  insist  upon  a 
precise  definition  of  each  breed,  the  Dalmatian  was  known  as 
the  Coach  Dog,  a  name  appropriately  derived  from  his  fond- 
ness for  following  a  carriage,  for  living  in  and  about  the 
stable,  and  for  accompanying  his  master's  horses  at  exercise. 
As  an  adjunct  to  the  carriage  he  is  peculiarly  suitable,  for  in 
fine  weather  he  will  follow  between  the  wheels  for  long  dis- 
tances without  showing  fatigue,  keeping  easy  pace  with  the 
best  horses.  He  appears  almost  to  prefer  equine  to  human 
companionship,  and  he  is  as  fond  of  being  among  horses  as 
the  Collie  is  of  being  in  the  midst  of  sheep.  Yet  he  is  of 
friendly  disposition,  and  it  must  be  insisted  that  he  is  by 
no  means  so  destitute  of  intelligence  as  he  is  often  represented 
to  be.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  capable  of  being  trained  into 
remarkable  cleverness,  as  circus  proprietors  have  discovered. 

The  earliest  authorities  agree  that  this  breed  was  first 
introduced  from  Dalmatia,  and  that  he  was  brought  into  this 
country  purely  on  account  of  his  sporting  proclivities.  Of  late 
years,  however,  these  dogs  have  so  far  degenerated  as  to  be 
looked  upon  simply  as  companions,  or  as  exhibition  dogs, 
for  only  very  occasionally  can  it  be  found  that  any  pains 
have  been  taken  to  train  them  systematically  for  gun-work. 

The  first  of  the  variety  which  appeared  in  the  show  ring 
was  Mr.  James  Fawdry's  Captain,  in  1873.  At  that  period 
they  were  looked  upon  as  a  novelty,  and,  though  the  generosity 
and  influence  of  a  few  admirers  ensured  separate  classes  being 
provided  for  the  breed  at  the  leading  shows,  it  did  not  necessi- 
tate the  production  of  such  perfect  specimens  as  those  which 
E  49 


50    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

a  few  years  afterwards  won  prizes.  At  the  first  they  were 
more  popular  in  the  North  of  England  than  in  any  other  part 
of  Great  Britain.  It  was  at  Kirkby  Lonsdale  that  Dr.  James's 
Spotted  Dick  was  bred,  and  an  early  exploiter  of  the  breed  who 
made  his  dogs  famous  was  Mr.  Newby  Wilson,  of  Lakeside, 
Windermere.  He  was  indebted  to  Mr.  Hugo  Droesse,  of 
London,  for  the  foundation  of  his  stud,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
from  Mr.  Droesse  that  he  purchased  Ch.  Acrobat  and  Ch. 
Berolina.  At  a  later  date  the  famed  Coming  Still  and  Prince 
IV.  were  secured  from  the  same  kennel,  the  latter  dog  being 
the  progenitor  of  most  of  the  best  liver-spotted  specimens  that 
have  attained  notoriety  as  prize-winners  down  to  the  present 
day. 

In  appearance  the  Dalmatian  should  be  very  similar  to  a 
Pointer  except  in  head  and  marking.  Still,  though  not  so 
long  in  muzzle  nor  so  pendulous  in  lip  as  a  Pointer,  there 
should  be  no  coarseness  or  common  look  about  the  skull,  a 
fault  which  is  much  too  prevalent.  Then,  again,  some  judges 
do  not  attach  sufficient  importance  to  the  eyelids,  or  rather 
sears,  which  should  invariably  be  edged  round  with  black 
or  brown.  Those  which  are  flesh-coloured  in  this  particular 
should  be  discarded,  however  good  they  may  be  in  other  re- 
spects. The  density  and  pureness  of  colour,  in  both  blacks 
and  browns,  is  of  great  importance,  but  should  not  be  per- 
mitted to  outweigh  the  evenness  of  the  distribution  of  spots 
on  the  body  ;  no  black  patches,  or  even  mingling  of  the  spots, 
should  meet  with  favour,  any  more  than  a  ring-tail  or  a  clumsy- 
looking,  heavy-shouldered  dog  should  command  attention. 

The  darker-spotted  variety  usually  prevails  in  a  cross 
between  the  two  colours,  the  offspring  very  seldom  having  the 
liver-coloured  markings.  The  uninitiated  may  be  informed 
that  Dalmatian  puppies  are  always  born  pure  white.  The 
clearer  and  whiter  they  are  the  better  they  are  likely  to  be. 
There  should  not  be  the  shadow  of  a  mark  or  spot  on  them. 
When  about  a  fortnight  old,  however,  they  generally  develop 
a  dark  ridge  on  the  belly,  and  the  spots  will  then  begin  to 


THE  DALMATIAN  51 

show  themselves ;  first  about  the  neck  and  ears,  and  after- 
wards along  the  back,  until  at  about  the  sixteenth  day  the 
markings  are  distinct  over  the  body,  excepting  only  the  tail, 
which  frequently  remains  white  for  a  few  weeks  longer. 

The  standard  of  points  as  laid  down  by  the  leading  club  is 
sufficiently  explicit  to  be  easily  understood,  and  is  as  follows : — 

General  Appearance — The  Dalmatian  should  represent  a  strong, 
muscular,  and  active  dog,  symmetrical  in  outline,  and  free  from  coarse- 
ness and  lumber,  capable  of  great  endurance  combined  with  a  fair 
amount  of  speed.  Head — The  head  should  be  of  a  fair  length  ;  the  skull 
flat,  rather  broad  between  the  ears,  and  moderately  well  defined  at  the 
temples — i.e.  exhibiting  a  moderate  amount  of  stop  and  not  in  one 
straight  line  from  the  nose  to  the  occiput  bone  as  required  in  a  Bull- 
terrier.  It  should  be  entirely  free  from  wrinkle.  Muzzle — The  muzzle 
should  be  long  and  powerful ;  the  lips  clean,  fitting  the  jaws  moderately 
close.  Eyes — The  eyes  should  be  set  moderately  well  apart,  and  of 
medium  size,  round,  bright,  and  sparkling,  with  an  intelligent  ex- 
pression, their  colour  greatly  depending  on  the  markings  of  the  dog. 
In  the  black  spotted  variety  the  eyes  should  be  dark  (black  or  dark 
brown),  in  the  liver-spotted  variety  they  should  be  light  (yellow  or 
light  brown).  The  Rim  round  the  Eyes  in  the  black-spotted  variety 
should  be  black,  in  the  liver-spotted  variety  brown — never  flesh-colour 
in  either.  Ears — The  ears  should  be  set  on  rather  high,  of  moderate 
size,  rather  wide  at  the  base,  and  gradually  tapering  to  a  round  point. 
They  should  be  carried  close  to  the  head,  be  thin  and  fine  in  texture, 
and  always  spotted — the  more  profusely  the  better.  Nose— The  nose 
in  the  black-spotted  variety  should  always  be  black,  in  the  liver- 
spotted  variety  always  brown.  Neck  and  Shoulders — The  neck  should 
be  fairly  long,  nicely  arched,  light  and  tapering,  and  entirely  free  from 
throatiness.  The  shoulders  should  be  moderately  oblique,  clean,  and 
muscular,  denoting  speed.  Body,  Back,  Chest,  and  Loins — The  chest 
should  not  be  too  wide,  but  very  deep  and  capacious,  ribs  moderately 
well  sprung,  never  rounded  like  barrel  hoops  (which  would  indicate 
want  of  speed),  the  back  powerful,  loin  strong,  muscular,  and  slightly 
arched.  Legs  and  Feet — The  legs  and  feet  are  of  great  importance. 
The  fore-legs  should  be  perfectly  straight,  strong,  and  heavy  in  bone  ; 
elbows  close  to  the  body  ;  fore-feet  round,  compact  with  well-arched 
toes  (cat-footed),  and  round,  tough,  elastic  pads.  In  the  hind-legs  the 
muscles  should  be  clean,  though  well-defined  ;  the  hocks  well  let 
down.  Nails — The  nails  in  the  black-spotted  variety  should  be  black 
and  white  in  the  liver-spotted  variety  brown  and  white.  Tail — The  tail 
should  not  be  too  long,  strong  at  the  insertion,  and  gradually  tapering 
towards  the  end,  free  from  coarseness.  It  should  not  be  inserted  too 
low  down,  but  carried  with  a  slight  curve  upwards,  and  never  curled. 
It  should  be  spotted,  the  more  profusely  the  better.  Coat — The  coat 
should  be  short,  hard,  dense  and  fine,  sleek  and  glossy  in  appearance, 
but  neither  woolly  nor  silky.  Colour  and  Markings — These  are  most 
important  points.  The  ground  colour  in  both  varieties  should  be 


52    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

pure  white,  very  decided,  and  not  intermixed.  The  colour  of  the  spots 
of  the  black-spotted  variety  should  be  black,  the  deeper  and  richer 
the  black  the  better  ;  in  the  liver-spotted  variety  they  should  be  brown. 
The  spots  should  not  intermingle,  but  be  as  round  and  well-defined  as 
possible,  the  more  distinct  the  better  ;  in  size  they  should  be  from  that 
of  a  sixpence  to  a  florin.  The  spots  on  head,  face,  ears,  legs,  tail,  and 
extremities  to  be  smaller  than  those  on  the  body.  Weight — Dogs* 
55  Ibs. ;  bitches,  50  Ibs. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE    COLLIE 

THE  townsman  who  knows  the  shepherd's  dog  only  as  he  is  to 
be  seen,  out  of  his  true  element,  threading  his  confined  way 
through  crowded  streets  where  sheep  are  not,  can  have  small 
appreciation  of  his  wisdom  and  his  sterling  worth.  To  know 
him  properly,  one  needs  to  see  him  at  work  in  a  country  where 
sheep  abound,  to  watch  him  adroitly  rounding  up  his  scattered 
charges  on  a  wide-stretching  moorland,  gathering  the  wander- 
ing wethers  into  close  order  and  driving  them  before  him  in 
unbroken  company  to  the  fold ;  handling  the  stubborn  pack 
in  a  narrow  lane,  or  holding  them  in  a  corner  of  a  field,  im- 
mobile under  the  spell  of  his  vigilant  eye.  He  is  at  his  best  as 
a  worker,  conscious  of  the  responsibility  reposed  in  him  ; 
a  marvel  of  generalship,  gentle,  judicious,  slow  to  anger, 
quick  to  action  ;  the  priceless  helpmeet  of  his  master — the 
most  useful  member  of  all  the  tribe  of  dogs. 

Few  dogs  possess  the  fertile,  resourceful  brain  of  the  Collie. 
He  can  be  trained  to  perform  the  duties  of  other  breeds. 
He  makes  an  excellent  sporting  dog,  and  can  be  taught  to  do 
the  work  of  the  Pointer  and  the  Setter,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Water  Spaniel  and  the  Retriever.  He  is  clever  at  hunting, 
having  an  excellent  nose,  is  a  good  vermin-killer,  and  a  most 
faithful  watch,  guard,  and  companion.  Major  Richardson, 
who  for  some  years  has  been  successful  in  training  dogs  to 
ambulance  work  on  the  field  of  battle,  has  carefully  tested 
the  abilities  of  various  breeds  in  discovering  wounded  soldiers, 
and  he  gives  to  the  Collie  the  decided  preference. 

It  is,  however,  as  an  assistant  to  the  flock-master,  the 

53 


54          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

farmer,  the  butcher,  and  the  drover  that  the  Collie  takes  his 
most  appropriate  place  in  every-day  life.  The  shepherd 
on  his  daily  rounds,  travelling  over  miles  of  moorland,  could 
not  well  accomplish  his  task  without  his  Collie's  skilful  aid. 
One  such  dog,  knowing  what  is  expected  of  him,  can  do 
work  which  would  otherwise  require  the  combined  efforts 
of  a  score  of  men. 

Little  is  known  with  certainty  of  the  origin  of  the  Collie, 
but  his  cunning  and  his  outward  appearance  would  seem  to 
indicate  a  relationship  with  the  wild  dog.  Buffon  was  of 
opinion  that  he  was  the  true  dog  of  nature,  the  stock  and 
model  of  the  whole  canine  species.  He  considered  the 
Sheepdog  superior  in  instinct  and  intelligence  to  all  other 
breeds,  and  that,  with  a  character  in  which  education  has 
comparatively  little  share,  he  is  the  only  animal  born  perfectly 
trained  for  the  service  of  man. 

One  of  the  most  perfect  working  Collies  in  Scotland  to-day 
is  the  old-fashioned  black  and  white  type,  which  is  the  most 
popular  among  the  shepherds  of  Scotland.  At  the  shows 
this  type  of  dog  is  invariably  at  the  top  of  the  class.  He  is 
considered  the  most  tractable,  and  is  certainly  the  most  agile. 
Second  to  this  type  in  favour  is  the  smooth-coated  variety, 
a  very  hard,  useful  dog,  well  adapted  for  hill  work  and  usually 
very  fleet  of  foot.  He  is  not  so  sweet  in  temper  as  the  black 
and  white,  and  is  slow  to  make  friends.  In  the  Ettrick 
and  Yarrow  district  the  smooth  is  a  popular  sheepdog.  The 
shepherds  maintain  that  he  climbs  the  hills  more  swiftly 
than  the  rough,  and  in  the  heavy  snowstorms  his  clean, 
unfeathered  legs  do  not  collect  and  carry  the  snow.  He  has 
a  fuller  coat  than  the  show  specimens  usually  carry,  but  he 
has  the  same  type  of  head,  eye,  and  ears,  only  not  so  well 
developed. 

Then  there  is  the  Scottish  bearded,  or  Highland  Collie, 
less  popular  still  with  the  flock-master,  a  hardy-looking  dog 
in  outward  style,  but  soft  in  temperament,  and  many  of  them 
make  better  cattle  than  sheep  dogs.  This  dog  and  the  Old 


THE  COLLIE  55 

English  Sheepdog  are  much  alike  in  appearance,  but  that 
the  bearded  is  a  more  racy  animal,  with  a  head  resembling 
that  of  the  Dandie  Dinmont  rather  than  the  square  head  of  the 
Bobtail.  The  strong-limbed  bearded  Collie  is  capable  of 
getting  through  a  good  day's  work,  but  is  not  so  steady  nor 
so  wise  as  the  old-fashioned  black  and  white,  or  even  the 
smooth  coated  variety.  He  is  a  favourite  with  the  butcher 
and  drover  who  have  sometimes  a  herd  of  troublesome  cattle 
to  handle,  and  he  is  well  suited  to  rough  and  rocky  ground, 
active  in  movement,  and  as  sure-footed  as  the  wild  goat. 
He  can  endure  cold  and  wet  without  discomfort,  and  can  live 
on  the  Highland  hills  when  others  less  sturdy  would  suc- 
cumb. In  the  standard  adopted  for  judging  the  breed,  many 
points  are  given  for  good  legs  and  feet,  bone,  body,  and  coat, 
while  head  and  ears  are  not  of  great  importance.  Movement, 
size,  and  general  appearance  have  much  weight.  The  colour 
is  varied  in  this  breed.  Cream-coloured  specimens  are  not 
uncommon,  and  snow  white  with  orange  or  black  markings 
may  often  be  seen,  but  the  popular  colour  is  grizzly  grey. 
Unfortunately  the  coats  of  many  are  far  too  soft  and  the 
undercoat  is  frequently  absent. 

Working  trials  to  test  the  skill  of  the  sheepdog  have  become 
frequent  fixtures  among  shepherds  and  farmers  within  recent 
years,  and  these  competitions  have  done  much  towards  the 
improvement  of  the  working  qualities  of  the  Collie.  In 
general  the  excelling  competitors  at  working  trials  are  the 
rough-coated  black  and  white  Collies.  The  smooth-coated 
variety  and  the  Beardie  are  less  frequent  winners.  The 
handsome  and  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  Ch.  Wishaw 
Leader  type  are  seldom  seen  on  the  trial  field,  although  former- 
ly such  a  dog  as  Ch.  Ormskirk  Charlie  might  be  successfully 
entered  with  others  equally  well  bred  from  the  kennels  of  that 
good  trainer  and  fancier,  Mr.  Piggin,  of  Long  Eaton.  A 
good  working  Collie,  however,  is  not  always  robed  in  elegance. 
What  is  desirable  is  that  the  shepherd  and  farmer  should  fix 
a  standard  of  points,  and  breed  as  near  as  possible  to  that 


56    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

standard,  as  the  keepers  of  the  show  Collie  breed  to  an  ac- 
knowledged type  of  perfection.  Nevertheless,  from  a  bad 
worker  of  good  descent  many  an  efficient  worker  might  be 
produced  by  proper  mating,  and  those  of  us  skilled  in  the 
breeding  of  Collies  know  the  importance  of  a  well-considered 
process  of  selection  from  unsullied  strains. 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  hard-working  dog  of  the  shepherd  does 
not  receive  the  attention  in  the  way  of  feeding  and  groom- 
ing that  is  bestowed  on  the  ornamental  show  dog.  He  is 
too  often  neglected  in  these  particulars.  Notwithstanding 
this  neglect,  however,  the  average  life  of  the  working  dog  is 
longer  by  a  year  or  two  than  that  of  his  more  beautiful  cousin. 
Pampering  and  artificial  living  are  not  to  be  encouraged  ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  neglect  has  the  same  effect  of  shorten- 
ing the  span  of  life,  and  bad  feeding  and  inattention  to  clean- 
liness provoke  the  skin  diseases  which  are  far  too  prevalent. 

There  is  not  a  more  graceful  and  physically  beautiful  dog 
to  be  seen  than  the  show  Collie  of  the  present  period.  Produced 
from  the  old  working  type,  he  is  now  practically  a  distinct 
breed.  His  qualities  in  the  field  are  not  often  tested,  but 
he  is  a  much  more  handsome  and  attractive  animal,  and  his 
comeliness  will  always  win  for  him  many  admiring  friends. 
The  improvements  in  his  style  and  appearance  have  been 
alleged  to  be  due  to  an  admixture  with  Gordon  Setter  blood. 
In  the  early  years  of  exhibitions  he  showed  the  shorter  head, 
heavy  ears,  and  much  of  the  black  and  tan  colouring  which 
might  seem  to  justify  such  a  supposition  ;  but  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  cross  was  ever  purposely  sought.  Gradually 
the  colour  was  lightened  to  sable  and  a  mingling  of  black, 
white,  and  tan  came  into  favour.  The  shape  of  the  head  was 
also  improved.  These  improvements  in  beauty  of  form  and 
colour  have  been  largely  induced  by  the  many  Collie  clubs 
now  in  existence  not  only  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  America, 
but  also  in  South  Africa  and  Germany,  by  whom  the  standards 
of  points  have  been  perfected.  Type  has  been  enhanced, 
the  head  with  the  small  ornamental  ears  that  now  prevail  is 


THE  COLLIE  57 

more  classical ;  and  scientific  cultivation  and  careful  selec- 
tion of  typical  breeding  stock  have  achieved  what  may  be 
considered  the  superlative  degree  of  quality,  without  appre- 
ciable loss  of  stamina,  size,  or  substance. 

Twenty  years  or  so  ago,  when  Collies  were  becoming  fashion- 
able, the  rich  sable  coat  with  long  white  mane  was  in  highest 
request.  In  1888  Ch.  Metchley  Wonder  captivated  his 
admirers  by  these  rich  qualities.  He  was  the  first  Collie  for 
which  a  very  high  purchase  price  was  paid,  Mr.  Sam  Bodding- 
ton  having  sold  him  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Megson,  of  Manchester,  for 
£530.  High  prices  then  became  frequent.  Mr.  Megson  paid  as 
much  as  £1,600  to  Mr.  Tom  Stretch  for  Ormskirk  Emerald. 
No  Collie  has  had  a  longer  or  more  brilliant  career  than 
Emerald,  and  although  he  was  not  esteemed  as  a  successful 
sire,  yet  he  was  certainly  the  greatest  favourite  among  our 
show  dogs  of  recent  years. 

Mr.  Megson  has  owned  many  other  good  specimens  of  the 
breed,  both  rough  and  smooth.  In  the  same  year  that  he 
bought  Metchley  Wonder,  he  gave  £350  for  a  ten-months' 
puppy,  Caractacus.  Sable  and  white  is  his  favourite  com- 
bination of  colour,  a  fancy  which  was  shared  some  years  ago 
by  the  American  buyers,  who  would  have  nothing  else. 
Black,  tan,  and  white  became  more  popular  in  England,  and 
while  there  is  now  a  good  market  for  these  in  the  United 
States  the  sable  and  white  remains  the  favourite  of  the 
American  buyers  and  breeders. 

The  best  Collie  of  modern  times  was  undoubtedly  Ch. 
Squire  of  Tytton,  which  went  to  America  for  £1,250.  A 
golden  sable  with  quality,  nice  size,  and  profuse  coat,  he  had 
an  unbeaten  record  in  this  country.  Another  of  our  best 
and  most  typical  rough  Collies  was  Ch.  Wishaw  Leader. 
This  beautiful  dog,  who  had  a  most  distinguished  show 
career,  was  a  well-made  black,  tan,  and  white,  with  an  enor- 
mous coat  and  beautiful  flowing  white  mane  ;  one  of  the  most 
active  movers,  displaying  quality  all  through,  and  yet  having 
plenty  of  substance.  He  had  that  desirable  distinction  of 


58          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

type  which  is  so  often  lacking  in  our  long-headed  Collies. 
Ormskirk  Emerald's  head  was  of  good  length  and  well  bal- 
anced, the  skull  sufficiently  flat ;  his  eye  was  almond-shaped 
and  dark-brown  in  colour,  his  expression  keen  and  wise, 
entirely  free  from  the  soft  look  which  we  see  on  many  of  the 
faces  to-day.  Historical  examples  of  the  show  Collie  have 
also  been  seen  in  Champions  Christopher,  Anfield  Model, 
Sappho  of  Tytton,  Parbold  Piccolo,  and  Woodmanstern 
Tartan. 

In  recent  years  the  smooth  Collie  has  gained  in  popularity 
quite  as  certainly  as  his  more  amply  attired  relative.  Origin- 
ally he  was  a  dog  produced  by  mating  the  old-fashioned  black 
and  white  with  the  Greyhound.  But  the  Greyhound  type, 
which  was  formerly  very  marked,  can  scarcely  be  discerned 
to-day.  Still,  it  is  not  infrequent  that  a  throw-back  is  dis- 
covered in  a  litter  producing  perhaps  a  slate-coloured,  a  pure, 
white,  or  a  jet  black  individual,  or  that  an  otherwise  perfect 
smooth  Collie  should  betray  the  heavy  ears  or  the  eye  of  a 
Greyhound.  At  one  time  this  breed  of  dog  was  much  culti- 
vated in  Scotland,  but  nowadays  the  breeding  of  smooths  is 
almost  wholly  confined  to  the  English  side  of  the  Border. 

The  following  is  the  accepted  description  of  the  Perfect 
Collie  :— 

The  Skull  should  be  flat,  moderately  wide  between  the  ears,  and 
gradually  tapering  towards  the  eyes.  There  should  only  be  a  slight 
depression  at  stop.  The  width  of  skull  necessarily  depends  upon 
combined  length  of  skull  and  muzzle ;  and  the  whole  must  be 
considered  in  connection  with  the  size  of  the  dog.  The  cheek  should 
not  be  full  or  prominent.  The  Muzzle  should  be  of  fair  length, 
tapering  to  the  nose,  and  must  not  show  weakness  or  be  snipy  or 
lippy.  Whatever  the  colour  of  the  dog  may  be,  the  nose  must  be 
black.  The  Teeth  should  be  of  good  size,  sound  and  level ;  very  slight 
unevenness  is  permissible.  The  Jaws — Clean  cut  and  powerful.  The 
Eyes  are  a  very  important  feature,  and  give  expression  to  the  dog ; 
they  should  be  of  medium  size,  set  somewhat  obliquely,  of  almond 
shape,  and  of  a  brown  colour  except  in  the  case  of  merles,  when  the 
eyes  are  frequently  (one  or  both)  blue  and  white  or  china  ;  expression 
full  of  intelligence,  with  a  quick  alert  look  when  listening.  The  Ears 
should  be  small  and  moderately  wide  at  the  base,  and  placed  not  too 
close  together  but  on  the  top  of  the  skull  and  not  on  the  side  of  the 
head.  When  in  repose  they  should  be  usually  carried  thrown  back. 


I     I    •  «    C 
»    C    v 

t  •  *  fct 


THE  COLLIE  59 

but  when  on  the  alert  brought  forward  and  carried  semi-erect,  with 
tips  slightly  drooping  in  attitude  of  listening.  The  Neck  should  be 
muscular,  powerful  and  of  fair  length,  and  somewhat  arched.  The 
Body  should  be  strong,  with  well  sprung  ribs,  chest  deep,  fairly  broad 
behind  the  shoulders,  which  should  be  sloped,  loins  very  powerful. 
The  dog  should  be  straight  in  front.  The  Fore-Legs  should  be  straight 
and  muscular,  neither  in  nor  out  at  elbows,  with  a  fair  amount  of  bone  ; 
the  forearm  somewhat  fleshy,  the  pasterns  showing  flexibility  without 
weakness.  The  Hind-Legs  should  be  muscular  at  the  thighs,  clean  and 
sinewy  below  the  hocks,  with  well  bent  stifles.  The  Feet  should  be 
oval  in  shape,  soles  well  padded,  and  the  toes  arched  and  close  together. 
The  hind  feet  less  arched,  the  hocks  well  let  down  and  powerful.  The 
Brush  should  be  moderately  long  carried  low  when  the  dog  is  quiet* 
with  a  slight  upward  "  swirl "  at  the  end,  and  may  be  gaily  carried 
when  the  dog  is  excited,  but  not  over  the  back.  The  Coat  should  be 
very  dense,  the  outer  coat  harsh  to  the  touch,  the  inner  or  under  coat 
soft,  furry,  and  very  close,  so  close  as  almost  to  hide  the  skin.  The 
mane  and  frill  should  be  very  abundant,  the  mask  or  face  smooth,  as 
also  the  ears  at  the  tips,  but  they  should  carry  more  hair  towards  the 
base ;  the  fore-legs  well  feathered,  the  hind-legs  above  the  hocks 
profusely  so  ;  but  below  the  hocks  fairly  smooth,  although  all  heavily 
coated  Collies  are  liable  to  grow  a  slight  feathering.  Hair  on  the  brush 
very  profuse.  Colour  in  the  Collie  is  immaterial.  In  General  Character 
he  is  a  lithe  active  dog,  his  deep  chest  showing  lung  power,  his  neck 
strength,  his  sloping  shoulders  and  well  bent  hocks  indicating  speed, 
and  his  expression  high  intelligence.  He  should  be  a  fair  length  on 
the  leg,  giving  him  more  of  a  racy  than  a  cloddy  appearance.  In  a 
few  words,  a  Collie  should  show  endurance,  activity,  and  intelligence, 
with  free  and  true  action.  In  height  dogs  should  be  22  ins.  to  24  ins. 
at  the  shoulders,  bitches  20  ins.  to  22  ins.  The  weight  for  dogs  is  45 
to  65  Ibs.,  bitches  40  to  55  Ibs.  The  Smooth  Collie  only  differs  from 
the  rough  in  its  coat,  which  should  be  hard,  dense  and  quite  smooth. 
The  Main  Faults  to  be  avoided  are  a  domed  skull,  high  peaked  occipital 
bone,  heavy,  pendulous  or  pricked  ears,  weak  jaws,  snipy  muzzle, 
full  staring  or  light  eyes,  crooked  legs,  large,  flat  or  hare  feet,  curly  or 
soft  coat,  cow  hocks,  and  brush  twisted  or  carried  right  over  the  back,, 
under  or  overshot  mouth. 


CHAPTER   IX 
THE   OLD   ENGLISH    SHEEPDOG 

INTELLIGENT  and  picturesque,  workmanlike  and  affectionate, 
the  Old  English  Sheepdog  combines,  in  his  shaggy  person,  the 
attributes  at  once  of  a  drover's  drudge  and  of  an  ideal  com- 
panion. Although  the  modern  dog  is  seen  less  often  than  of 
old  performing  his  legitimate  duties  as  a  shepherd  dog,  there 
is  no  ground  whatever  for  supposing  that  he  is  a  whit  less 
sagacious  than  the  mongrels  which  have  largely  supplanted 
him.  The  instincts  of  the  race  remain  unchanged;  but  the 
mongrel  certainly  comes  cheaper. 

Carefully  handled  in  his  youth,  the  bob-tail  is  unequalled  as 
a  stock  dog,  and  he  is  equally  at  home  and  efficient  in  charge 
of  sheep,  of  cattle,  and  of  New  Forest  ponies.  So  deep-rooted 
is  the  natural  herding  instinct  of  the  breed  that  it  is  a  thousand 
pities  that  the  modern  shepherd  so  frequently  puts  up  with  an 
inferior  animal  in  place  of  the  genuine  article. 

Nor  is  it  as  a  shepherd  dog  alone  that  the  bob-tail  shines  in 
the  field.  His  qualifications  as  a  sporting  dog  are  excellent, 
and  he  makes  a  capital  retriever,  being  usually  under  excellent 
control,  generally  light-mouthed,  and  taking  very  readily  to 
water.  His  natural  inclination  to  remain  at  his  master's  heel 
and  his  exceptional  sagacity  and  quickness  of  perception  will 
speedily  develop  him,  in  a  sportsman's  hands,  into  a  first-rate 
dog  to  shoot  over. 

These  points  in  his  favour  should  never  be  lost  sight  of, 
because  his  increasing  popularity  on  the  show  bench  is  apt  to 
mislead  many  of  his  admirers  into  the  belief  that  he  is  an 
ornamental  rather  than  a  utility  dog.  Nothing  could  be 

60 


THE  OLD  ENGLISH  SHEEPDOG         61 

further  from  the  fact.  Nevertheless,  he  has  few  equals  as  a 
house  dog,  being  naturally  cleanly  in  his  habits,  affectionate 
in  his  disposition,  an  admirable  watch,  and  an  extraordinarily 
adaptable  companion. 

As  to  his  origin,  there  is  considerable  conflict  of  opinion, 
owing  to  the  natural  difficulty  of  tracing  him  back  to  that 
period  when  the  dog-fancier,  as  he  flourishes  to-day,  was  all 
unknown,  and  the  voluminous  records  of  a  watchful  Kennel 
Club  were  still  undreamed  of.  From  time  immemorial  a 
sheepdog,  of  one  kind  or  another,  has  presided  over  the  welfare 
of  flocks  and  herds  in  every  land.  Probably,  in  an  age  less 
peaceable  than  ours,  this  canine  guardian  was  called  upon, 
in  addition  to  his  other  duties,  to  protect  his  charges  from 
wolves  and  bears  and  other  marauders.  In  that  case  it  is  very 
possible  that  the  early  progenitors  of  the  breed  were  built  upon 
a  larger  and  more  massive  scale  than  is  the  sheepdog  of  to- 
day. 

The  herd  dogs  of  foreign  countries,  such  as  the  Calabrian  of 
the  Pyrenees,  the  Himalayan  drover's  dog,  and  the  Russian 
Owtchah,  are  all  of  them  massive  and  powerful  animals,  far 
larger  and  fiercer  than  our  own,  though  each  of  them,  and 
notably  the  Owtchah,  has  many  points  in  common  with  the 
English  bob-tail.  It  is  quite  possible  that  all  of  them  may 
trace  their  origin,  at  some  remote  period,  to  the  same  ancestral 
strain.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  open  to  argument  that  the  founders 
of  our  breed,  as  it  exists  to-day,  were  imported  into  England  at 
some  far-off  date  when  the  duties  of  a  sheepdog  demanded 
of  him  fighting  qualities  no  longer  necessary. 

Throughout  the  nineteenth  century,  one  finds  conclusive 
evidence  that  the  breed  was  very  fairly  represented  in  many 
parts  of  England,  notably  in  Suffolk,  Hampshire,  and  Dorset- 
shire, and  also  in  Wales.  Youatt  writes  of  it  in  1845,  Richard- 
son in  1847,  and  "  Stonehenge  "  in  1859.  Their  descriptions 
vary  a  little,  though  the  leading  characteristics  are  much  the 
same,  but  each  writer  specially  notes  the  exceptional  sagacity 
of  the  breed. 


62    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  dog  was  well  known  in  Scotland,  too,  under  the  title  of 
the  Bearded  Collie,  for  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  last  is 
merely  a  variant  of  the  breed.  He  differs,  in  point  of  fact, 
chiefly  by  reason  of  possessing  a  tail,  the  amputation  of  which 
is  a  recognised  custom  in  England. 

With  regard  to  this  custom,  it  is  said  that  the  drovers  origin- 
ated it.  Their  dogs,  kept  for  working  purposes,  were  immune 
from  taxation,  and  they  adopted  this  method  of  distinguish- 
ing the  animals  thus  exempted.  It  has  been  argued,  by 
disciples  of  the  Darwinian  theory  of  inherited  effects  from 
continued  mutilations,  that  a  long  process  of  breeding  from 
tailless  animals  has  resulted  in  producing  puppies  naturally 
bob-tailed,  and  it  is  difficult,  on  any  other  hypothesis,  to 
account  for  the  fact  that  many  puppies  are  so  born.  It  is 
certainly  a  fact  that  one  or  two  natural  bob-tails  are  frequently 
found  in  a  litter  of  which  the  remainder  are  duly  furnished  with 
well-developed  tails. 

From  careful  consideration  of  the  weight  of  evidence,  it 
seems  unlikely  that  the  breed  was  originally  a  tailless  one,  but 
the  modern  custom  undoubtedly  accentuates  its  picturesque- 
ness  by  bringing  into  special  prominence  the  rounded  shaggy 
quarters  and  the  characteristic  bear-like  gait  which  dis- 
tinguish the  Old  English  Sheepdog. 

Somewhere  about  the  'sixties  there  would  appear  to  have 
been  a  revival  of  interest  in  the  bob-tail's  welfare,  and  attempts 
were  made  to  bring  him  into  prominence.  In  1873  his  ad- 
mirers succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him  a  separate  classification 
at  a  recognised  show,  and  at  the  Curzon  Hall,  at  Birmingham, 
in  that  year  three  temerarious  competitors  appeared  to  under- 
go the  ordeal  of  expert  judgment.  It  was  an  unpromising 
beginning,  for  Mr.  M.  B.  Wynn,  who  officiated  found  their 
quality  so  inferior  that  he  contented  himself  with  awarding  a 
second  prize. 

But  from  this  small  beginning  important  results  were  to 
spring,  and  the  Old  English  Sheepdog  has  made  great  strides 
in  popularity  since  then.  At  Clerkenwell,  in  1905,  the  entries 


THE  OLD  ENGLISH  SHEEPDOG         63 

in  his  classes  reached  a  total  of  over  one  hundred,  and  there 
was  no  gainsaying  the  quality. 

This  satisfactory  result  is  due  in  no  small  measure  to  the 
initiative  of  the  Old  English  Sheepdog  Club,  a  society  founded 
in  1888,  with  the  avowed  intention  of  promoting  the  breeding 
of  the  old-fashioned  English  Sheepdog,  and  of  giving  prizes  at 
various  shows  held  under  Kennel  Club  Rules. 

The  pioneers  of  this  movement,  so  far  as  history  records 
their  names,  were  Dr.  Edwardes-Ker,  an  enthusiast  both  in 
theory  and  in  practice,  from  whose  caustic  pen  dissentients 
were  wont  to  suffer  periodical  castigation  ;  Mr.  W.  G.  Weager, 
who  has  held  office  in  the  club  for  some  twenty  years  ;  Mrs. 
Mayhew,  who  capably  held  her  own  amongst  her  fellow- 
members  of  the  sterner  sex  ;  Mr.  Freeman  Lloyd,  who  wrote 
an  interesting  pamphlet  on  the  breed  in  1889  ;  and  Messrs.  J. 
Thomas  and  Parry  Thomas. 

Theirs  can  have  been  no  easy  task  at  the  outset,  for  it 
devolved  upon  them  to  lay  down,  in  a  succinct  and  practical 
form,  leading  principles  for  the  guidance  of  future  enthusiasts. 
It  runs  thus  : — 

General  Appearance — A  strong,  compact-looking  dog  of  great  sym- 
metry, absolutely  free  from  legginess,  profusely  coated  all  over,  very 
elastic  in  its  gallop,  but  in  walking  or  trotting  he  has  a  characteristic 
ambling  or  pacing  movement,  and  his  bark  should  be  loud,  with  a 
peculiar  pot  casse  ring  in  it.  Taking  him  all  round,  he  is  a  thick-set, 
muscular,  able-bodied  dog,  with  a  most  intelligent  expression,  free 
from  all  Poodle  or  Deerhound  character.  Skull — Capacious,  and  rather 
squarely  formed,  giving  plenty  of  room  for  brain  power.  The  parts 
over  the  eyes  should  be  well  arched  and  the  whole  well  covered  with 
hair.  Jaw — Fairly  long,  strong,  square  and  truncated  ;  the  stop  should 
be  defined  to  avoid  a  Deerhound  face.  The  attention  of  fudges  is  particu- 
larly called  to  the  above  properties,  as  a  long,  narrow  head  is  a  deformity. 
Eyes — Vary  according  to  the  colour  of  the  dog,  but  dark  or  wall  eyes 
are  to  be  preferred.  Nose — Always  black,  large,  and  capacious. 
Teeth — Strong  and  large,  evenly  placed,  and  level  in  opposition.  Ears 
— Small,  and  carried  flat  to  side  of  head,  coated  moderately.  Legs — 
The  fore-legs  should  be  dead  straight,  with  plenty  of  bone,  removing  the 
body  to  a  medium  height  from  the  ground,  without  approaching 
legginess  ;  well  coated  all  round.  Feet — Small,  round  ;  toes  well 
arched  and  pads  thick  and  hard.  Tail — Puppies  requiring  docking 
must  have  an  appendage  left  of  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  and  the 
operation  performed  when  not  older  than  four  days.  Neck  and  Shoulders 


64         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

— The  neck  should  be  fairly  long,  arched  gracefully,  and  well  coated 
with  hair  ;  the  shoulders  sloping  and  narrow  at  the  points,  the  dog 
standing  lower  at  the  shoulder  than  at  the  loin.  Body — Rather  short 
and  very  compact,  ribs  well  sprung,  and  brisket  deep  and  capacious. 
The  loin  should  be  very  stout  and  gently  arched,  while  the  hind- 
quarters should  be  round  and  muscular,  and  with  well  let  down  hocks, 
and  the  hams  densely  coated  with  a  thick  long  jacket  in  excess  of  any 
other  part.  Coat — Profuse,  and  of  good  hard  texture,  not  straight  but 
shaggy  and  free  from  curl.  The  undercoat  should  be  a  waterproof 
pile,  when  not  removed  by  grooming  or  season.  Colour — Any  shade 
of  grey,  grizzle,  blue  or  blue-merled,  with  or  without  white  markings, 
or  in  reverse  ;  any  shade  of  brown  or  sable  to  be  considered  distinctly 
objectionable  and  not  to  be  encouraged.  Height — Twenty-two  inches 
and  upwards  for  dogs,  slightly  less  for  bitches.  Type,  character,  and 
symmetry  are  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  on  no  account  to  be 
sacrificed  to  size  alone. 

Turning  to  the  questions  of  care  and  kennel  management, 
we  may  start  with  the  puppy.  It  is  obvious  that  where  bone 
and  substance  are  matters  of  special  desirability,  it  is  essential 
to  build  up  in  the  infant  what  is  to  be  expected  of  the  adult. 
For  this  reason  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  allow  the  dam  to  bring 
up  too  many  by  herself.  To  about  six  or  seven  she  can  do 
justice,  but  a  healthy  bitch  not  infrequently  gives  birth  to  a 
dozen  or  more.  Under  such  circumstances  the  services  of  a 
foster-mother  are  a  cheap  investment.  By  dividing  the  litter 
the  weaklings  may  be  given  a  fair  chance  in  the  struggle  for 
existence,  otherwise  they  receive  scant  consideration  from 
their  stronger  brethren. 

At  three  or  four  days  old  the  tails  should  be  removed,  as 
near  the  rump  as  possible.  The  operation  is  easy  to  perform, 
and  if  done  with  a  sharp,  clean  instrument  there  is  no  danger 
of  after  ill  effects. 

If  the  mother  be  kept  on  a  very  liberal  diet,  it  will  usually  be 
found  that  she  will  do  all  that  is  necessary  for  her  family's 
welfare  for  the  first  three  weeks,  by  which  time  the  pups  have 
increased  prodigiously  in  size.  They  are  then  old  enough  to 
learn  to  lap  for  themselves,  an  accomplishment  which  they 
very  speedily  acquire.  Beginning  with  fresh  cow's  milk  for  a 
week,  their  diet  may  be  gradually  increased  to  Mellin's  or 
Benger's  food,  and  later  to  gruel  and  Quaker  Oats,  their 


THE  OLD  ENGLISH  SHEEPDOG         65 

steadily  increasing  appetites  being  catered  for  by  the  simple 
exercise  of  commonsense.  Feed  them  little  and  often,  about 
five  times  a  day,  and  encourage  them  to  move  about  as  much 
as  possible  ;  and  see  that  they  never  go  hungry,  without  allow- 
ing them  to  gorge.  Let  them  play  until  they  tire,  and  sleep 
until  they  hunger  again,  and  they  will  be  found  to  thrive  and 
grow  with  surprising  rapidity.  At  six  weeks  old  they  can  fend 
for  themselves,  and  shortly  afterwards  additions  may  be  made 
to  their  diet  in  the  shape  of  paunches,  carefully  cleaned  and 
cooked,  and  Spratt's  Puppy  Rodnim.  A  plentiful  supply  of 
fresh  milk  is  still  essential.  Gradually  the  number  of  their 
meals  may  be  decreased,  first  to  four  a  day,  and  later  on  to 
three,  until  at  six  months  old  they  verge  on  adolescence,  and 
may  be  placed  upon  the  rations  of  the  adult  dog,  two  meals  a 
day. 

Meanwhile,  the  more  fresh  air  and  sunshine,  exercise,  and 
freedom  they  receive,  the  better  will  they  prosper,  but  care 
must  be  taken  that  they  are  never  allowed  to  get  wet.  Their 
sleeping-place  especially  must  be  thoroughly  dry,  well  venti- 
lated, and  scrupulously  clean. 

As  to  the  adult  dog,  his  needs  are  three  :  he  must  be  well  fed, 
well  housed,  and  well  exercised.  Two  meals  a  day  suffice  him, 
but  he  likes  variety,  and  the  more  his  fare  can  be  diversified 
the  better  will  he  do  justice  to  it.  Biscuits,  Rodnim,  Flako, 
meat,  vegetables,  paunches,  and  sheep's  heads,  with  an  occa- 
sional big  bone  to  gnaw,  provide  unlimited  change,  and  the 
particular  tastes  of  individuals  should  be  learned  and  catered 
for. 

As  to  the  bob-tail's  kennel,  there  is  no  need  whatever  for  a 
high-priced  fancy  structure.  Any  weatherproof  building  will 
do,  provided  it  be  well  ventilated  and  free  from  draughts.  In 
very  cold  weather  a  bed  of  clean  wheat  straw  is  desirable,  in 
summer  the  bare  boards  are  best.  In  all  weathers  cleanliness 
is  an  absolute  essential,  and  a  liberal  supply  of  fresh  water 
should  be  always  available. 

Grooming  is  an  important  detail  in  a  breed  whose  pictur- 


66          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

esqueness  depends  so  largely  on  the  profuseness  of  their  shaggy 
coats,  but  there  is  a  general  tendency  to  overdo  it.  A  good 
stiff  pair  of  dandy  brushes  give  the  best  results,  but  the  coats 
must  not  be  allowed  to  mat  or  tangle,  which  they  have  a 
tendency  to  do  if  not  properly  attended  to.  Mats  and  tangles, 
if  taken  in  time,  can  generally  be  teased  out  with  the  fingers, 
and  it  is  the  greatest  mistake  to  try  and  drag  them  out  with 
combs.  These  last  should  be  used  as  little  as  possible,  and  only 
with  the  greatest  care  when  necessary  at  all.  An  over- 
groomed  bob-tail  loses  half  his  natural  charm.  Far  preferable 
is  a  muddy,  matted,  rough-and-tumble-looking  customer,  with 
his  coat  as  Nature  left  it. 


CHAPTER   X 
THE    CHOW   CHOW 

THE  Chow  Chow  is  a  dog  of  great  versatility.  He  is  a  born 
sportsman  and  loves  an  open-air  life — a  warrior,  always  ready 
to  accept  battle,  but  seldom  provoking  it.  He  has  a  way  of  his 
own  with  tramps,  and  seldom  fails  to  induce  them  to  continue 
their  travels.  Yet  withal  he  is  tender-hearted,  a  friend  of 
children,  an  ideal  companion,  and  often  has  a  clever  gift  for 
parlour  tricks.  In  China,  his  fatherland,  he  is  esteemed  for 
another  quality — his  excellence  as  a  substitute  for  roast 
mutton. 

Though  in  his  own  country  he  is  regarded  as  plebeian,  just  a 
common  cur,  he  is  by  no  means  a  mongrel.  That  he  is  of 
ancient  lineage  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he  always  breeds  true 
to  type.  He  yields  to  the  Pekinese  Spaniel  the  claim  to  be 
the  Royal  dog  of  China,  yet  his  blood  must  be  of  the  bluest. 
If  you  doubt  it,  look  at  his  tongue. 

Outwardly,  the  Chow  worthily  embodies  the  kind,  faithful 
heart  and  the  brave  spirit  within.  His  compact  body  (weigh- 
ing 40  Ibs.  or  more),  with  the  beautiful  fur  coat  and  ruff,  the 
plume  tail  turned  over  on  his  back  and  almost  meeting  his 
neck-ruff,  the  strong,  straight  legs  and  neat,  catlike  feet,  gives 
an  impression  of  symmetry,  power,  and  alertness.  His  hand- 
some face  wears  a  "  scowl."  This  is  the  technical  term  for  the 
"  no  nonsense "  look  which  deters  strangers  from  undue 
familiarity,  though  to  friends  his  expression  is  kindness  itself. 

Though  the  Chow  has  many  perfections,  the  perfect  Chow 
has  not  yet  arrived.  He  nearly  came  with  Ch.  Chow  VIII. — 
long  since  dead,  alas  ! — and  with  Ch.  Fu  Chow,  the  best  Chow 

67 


68          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

now  living,  his  light  coloured  eyes  being  his  only  defect. 
With  many  judges,  however,  this  dog's  black  coat  handicaps 
him  sadly  in  competition  with  his  red  brethren.  Chow  VIII. 
is  considered  the  best  and  most  typical  dog  ever  benched,  not- 
withstanding his  somewhat  round  eyes.  Almond  eyes  are  of 
course  correct  in  Chinamen.  Ch.  Red  Craze  owns  the  head 
which  is  perfect  with  the  correct  ear-carriage  and  broad  muzzle, 
and  the  scowl  and  characteristic  expression  of  a  good  Chow. 

Dark  red  is  the  accepted  colour  of  the  Chow.  Modern 
judges  will  not  look  twice  at  a  light  or  parti -coloured  dog,  and 
it  is  to  be  feared  that  if  even  Ch.  Chow  VIII.  could  revisit  the 
scenes  of  his  bygone  triumphs,  his  beautiful  light  markings 
would  prove  a  fatal  bar  to  his  success.  The  judges  would  be 
quite  wrong,  but  if  you  want  a  dog  for  show  you  must  be  sure 
to  get  a  good  whole-coloured  dark  red.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
you  have  a  Chow  as  a  companion  and  friend,  do  not  be  at  all 
troubled  if  his  ruff,  yoke,  culottes  and  tail  are  white  or  cream- 
coloured.  These  are  natural,  correct  and  typical  marks,  though 
present-day  fanciers  are  trying  to  "  improve  "  them  away. 

A  list  of  points  as  drawn  up  by  the  Chow  Chow  Club  some 
years  ago  is  added.  The  points  are  fairly  right,  but  the  tongue 
of  a  live  Chow  is  never  black.  It  should  be  blue,  such  a  colour 
as  might  result  from  a  diet  of  bilberries. 

POINTS  OF  THE  CHOW  CHOW  :  Head— Skull  flat  and  broad,  with 
little  stop,  well  filled  out  under  the  eyes.  Muzzle — Moderate  in  length, 
and  broad  from  the  eyes  to  the  point  (not  pointed  at  the  end  like  a 
fox).  Nose — Black,  large  and  wide.  (In  cream  or  light-coloured 
specimens,  a  pink  nose  is  allowable.)  Tongue — Black.  Eyes — Dark 
and  small.  (In  a  blue  dog  light  colour  is  permissible.)  Ears — Small, 
pointed,  and  carried  stiffly  erect.  They  should  be  placed  well  forward 
over  the  eyes,  which  gives  the  dog  the  peculiar  characteristic  ex- 
pression of  the  breed — viz.,  a  sort  of  scowl.  Teeth — Strong  and  level. 
Neck — Strong,  full,  set  well  on  the  shoulders,  and  slightly  arched. 
Shoulders — Muscular  and  sloping.  Chest — Broad  and  deep.  Back — 
Short,  straight,  and  strong.  Loins — Powerful.  Tail — Curled  tightly 
over  the  back.  Fore-legs — Perfectly  straight,  of  moderate  length,  and 
with  great  bone.  Hind-legs — Same  as  fore-legs,  muscular  and  with  hocks 
well  let  down.  Feet — Small,  round  and  catlike,  standing  well  on  the 
toes.  Coat — Abundant,  dense,  straight,  and  rather  coarse  in  texture, 
with  a  soft  woolly  undercoat.  Colour — Whole-coloured  black,  red, 
yellow,  blue,  white,  etc.,  not  hi  patches  (the  under  part  of  tail  and  back 


THE  CHOW  CHOW  69 

of  thighs  frequently  of  a  lighter  colour).  General  Appearance — A 
lively,  compact,  short  coupled  dog,  well-knit  in  frame,  with  tail  curled 
well  over  the  back.  Disqualifying  Points — Drop  ears,  red  tongue, 
tail  not  curled  over  back,  white  spots  on  coat,  and  red  nose,  except  in 
yellow  or  white  specimens. 

N.B. — Smooth  Chows  are  governed  by  the  same  scale  of  points,  except 
that  the  coat  is  smooth. 

As  to  the  weight,  bitches   scale  about  30  Ibs.,  but  dogs  are 
heavier.     Ch.  Shylock  weighed  47 J  Ibs.,  and  Red  Craze  38  Ibs. 


CHAPTER   XI 
THE   POODLE 

THE  Poodle  is  commonly  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  wisely 
intelligent  of  all  members  of  the  canine  race.  He  is  a  scholar 
and  a  gentleman  ;  but,  in  spite  of  his  claims  of  long  descent 
and  his  extraordinary  natural  cleverness,  he  has  never  been 
widely  popular  in  this  country  as  the  Collie  and  the  Fox- 
Terrier  are  popular.  There  is  a  general  belief  that  he  is  a  fop, 
whose  time  is  largely  occupied  in  personal  embellishment, 
and  that  he  requires  a  great  deal  of  individual  attention  in 
the  matter  of  his  toilet.  It  may  be  true  that  to  keep  him 
in  exhibition  order  and  perfect  cleanliness  his  owner  has  need 
to  devote  more  consideration  to  him  than  is  necessary  in  the 
case  of  many  breeds  ;  but  in  other  respects  he  gives  very 
little  trouble,  and  all  who  are  attached  to  him  are  consistent 
in  their  opinion  that  there  is  no  dog  so  intensely  interesting 
and  responsive  as  a  companion.  His  qualities  of  mind  and 
his  acute  powers  of  reasoning  are  indeed  so  great  that  there 
is  something  almost  human  in  his  attractiveness  and  his 
devotion.  His  aptitude  in  learning  is  never  denied,  and  many 
are  the  stories  told  of  his  marvellous  talent  and  versatility. 

Not  merely  as  a  showman's  dog  has  he  distinguished  himself. 
He  is  something  more  than  a  mountebank  of  the  booths, 
trained  to  walk  the  tight  rope  and  stand  on  his  head.  He  is 
an  adept  at  performing  tricks,  but  it  is  his  alertness  of  brain 
that  places  him  apart  from  other  animals.  There  is  the 
example  of  the  famous  Munito,  who  in  1818  perplexed  the 
Parisians  by  his  cleverness  with  playing  cards  and  his  intricate 
arithmetical  calculations.  Paris  was  formerly  the  home  of 

70 


THE  POODLE  71 

most  of  the  learned  Poodles,  and  one  remembers  the  instance 
of  the  Poodle  of  the  Pont  Neuf ,  who  had  the  habit  of  dirtying 
the  boots  of  the  passers-by  in  order  that  his  master — a  shoe- 
black stationed  half-way  across  the  bridge — might  enjoy  the 
profit  of  cleaning  them.  In  Belgium  Poodles  were  systematic- 
ally trained  to  smuggle  valuable  lace,  which  was  wound  round 
their  shaven  bodies  and  covered  with  a  false  skin.  These 
dogs  were  schooled  to  a  dislike  of  all  men  in  uniform,  and  con- 
sequently on  their  journey  between  Mechlin  and  the  coast 
they  always  gave  a  wide  berth  to  the  Customs  officers.  On 
the  Continent  Poodles  of  the  larger  kind  are  often  used  for 
draught  work. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  breed  originated  in  Ger- 
many, where  it  is  known  as  the  Pudel,  and  classed  as  the  Canis 
familiaris  Aquaticus.  In  form  and  coat  he  would  seem  to  be 
closely  related  to  the  old  Water-dog,  and  the  resemblance 
between  a  brown  Poodle  and  an  Irish  Water  Spaniel  is  re- 
markable. The  Poodle  is  no  longer  regarded  as  a  sporting 
dog,  but  at  one  period  he  was  trained  to  retrieve  waterfowl, 
and  he  still  on  occasion  displays  an  eager  fondness  for  the 
water. 

Throughout  Europe  and  in  the  United  States — wherever 
these  dogs  are  kept — it  is  usual  to  clip  the  coat  on  the  face, 
the  legs,  and  the  hinder  part  of  the  body,  leaving  tufts  of  hair 
on  the  thighs  and  a  ring  of  hair  on  the  pasterns.  The  origin 
and  purpose  of  the  custom  are  not  apparent,  but  now  that 
Poodles  are  almost  always  kept  as  house  dogs,  this  mode  of 
ornamentation  at  least  commends  itself  by  reducing  the 
labour  of  daily  grooming  if  the  coat  is  to  be  maintained  in 
good  condition  and  the  dog  to  be  a  pleasant  associate. 

The  profuse  and  long  coat  of  this  dog  has  the  peculiarity 
that  if  not  kept  constantly  brushed  out  it  twists  up  into  little 
cords  which  increase  in  length  as  the  new  hair  grows  and 
clings  about  it.  The  unshed  old  hair  and  the  new  growth 
entwined  together  thus  become  distinct  rope-like  cords. 
Eventually,  if  these  cords  are  not  cut  short,  or  accidentally 


72    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

torn  off,  they  drag  along  the  ground,  and  so  prevent  the  poor 
animal  from  moving  with  any  degree  of  comfort  or  freedom. 
Some  few  owners,  who  admire  and  cultivate  these  long  cords, 
keep  them  tied  up  in  bundles  on  the  dog's  back,  but  so  un- 
natural and  unsightly  a  method  of  burdening  the  animal 
is  not  to  be  commended. 

Corded  Poodles  are  very  showy,  and  from  the  remarkable 
appearance  of  the  coat,  attract  a  great  deal  of  public  attention 
when  exhibited  at  shows ;  but  they  have  lost  popularity 
among  most  fanciers,  and  have  become  few  in  number  owing 
to  the  obvious  fact  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  pets  of  them 
or  keep  them  in  the  house.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  the  coat 
must,  from  time  to  time,  be  oiled  in  order  to  keep  the  cords 
supple  and  prevent  them  from  snapping,  and,  of  course,  as 
their  coats  cannot  be  brushed,  the  only  way  of  keeping  the 
dog  clean  is  to  wash  him,  which  with  a  corded  Poodle  is  a 
lengthy  and  laborious  process.  Further,  the  coat  takes  hours 
to  dry,  and  unless  the  newly  washed  dog  be  kept  in  a  warm 
room  he  is  very  liable  to  catch  cold.  The  result  is,  that  the 
coats  of  corded  Poodles  are  almost  invariably  dirty,  and 
somewhat  smelly. 

At  one  time  it  was  suggested  that  cordeds  and  non-cordeds 
were  two  distinct  breeds,  but  it  is  now  generally  accepted 
that  the  coat  of  every  well-bred  Poodle  will,  if  allowed,  develop 
cords. 

Curly  Poodles,  on  the  other  hand,  have  advanced  con- 
siderably in  favour.  Their  coats  should  be  kept  regularly 
brushed  and  combed  and,  if  washed  occasionally,  they  will 
always  be  smart  and  clean,  and  pleasant  companions  in  the 
house. 

The  four  colours  usually  considered  correct  are  black,  white, 
brown,  and  blue.  White  Poodles  are  considered  the  most 
intelligent,  and  it  is  certain  that  professional  trainers  of  per- 
forming dogs  prefer  the  white  variety.  The  black  come  next  in 
the  order  of  intelligence,  and  easily  surpass  the  brown  and 
blue,  which  are  somewhat  lacking  in  true  Poodle  character. 


THE  POODLE  73 

No  strict  lines  are  drawn  as  regards  brown,  and  all  shades 
ranging  from  cream  to  dark  brown  are  classed  as  brown. 
Mrs.  Robert  Long  a  few  years  ago  startled  her  fellow-enthus- 
iasts by  exhibiting  some  parti-coloured  specimens ;  but 
they  were  regarded  as  freaks,  and  did  not  become  popular. 

The  points  to  be  looked  for  in  choosing  a  Poodle  are,  that 
he  should  be  a  lively,  active  dog,  with  a  long,  fine  head,  a 
dark  oval  eye,  with  a  bright  alert  expression,  short  in  the  back, 
not  leggy,  but  by  no  means  low  on  the  ground,  with  a  good 
loin,  carrying  his  tail  well  up ;  the  coat  should  be  profuse, 
all  one  colour,  very  curly,  and  rather  wiry  to  the  touch. 

If  you  buy  a  Poodle  puppy  you  will  find  it  like  other  in- 
telligent and  active  youngsters,  full  of  mischief.  The  great 
secret  in  training  him  is  first  to  gain  his  affection.  With 
firmness,  kindness,  and  perseverance,  you  can  then  teach  him 
almost  anything.  The  most  lively  and  excitable  dogs  are 
usually  the  easiest  to  train.  It  is  advantageous  to  teach  your 
dog  when  you  give  him  his  meal  of  biscuit,  letting  him  have 
the  food  piece  by  piece  as  a  reward  when  each  trick  is  duly 
performed.  Never  attempt  to  teach  him  two  new  tricks  at 
a  time,  and  when  instructing  him  in  a  new  trick  let  him 
always  go  through  his  old  ones  first.  Make  it  an  invariable 
rule  never  to  be  beaten  by  him.  If — as  frequently  is  the  case 
with  your  dogs — he  declines  to  perform  a  trick,  do  not  pass 
it  over  or  allow  him  to  substitute  another  he  likes  better ; 
but,  when  you  see  he  obstinately  refuses,  punish  him  by 
putting  away  the  coveted  food  for  an  hour  or  two.  If  he 
once  sees  he  can  tire  you  out  you  will  have  no  further  authority 
over  him,  while  if  you  are  firm  he  will  not  hold  out  against  you 
long.  It  is  a  bad  plan  to  make  a  dog  repeat  too  frequently 
a  trick  which  he  obviously  dislikes,  and  insistence  on  your 
part  may  do  great  harm.  The  Poodle  is  exceptionally  sensitive, 
and  is  far  more  efficiently  taught  when  treated  as  a  sensible 
being  rather  than  as  a  mere  quadrupedal  automaton.  He 
will  learn  twice  as  quickly  if  his  master  can  make  him  under- 
stand the  reason  for  performing  a  task.  The  whip  is  of  little 


74          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

use  when  a  lesson  is  to  be  taught,  as  the  dog  will  probably 
associate  his  tasks  with  a  thrashing  and  go  through  them  in 
that  unwilling,  cowed,  tail-bet ween-legs  fashion  which  too 
often  betrays  the  unthinking  hastiness  of  the  master,  and  is 
the  chief  reason  why  the  Poodle  has  sometimes  been  regarded 
as  a  spiritless  coward. 

The  Poodle  bitch  makes  a  good  mother,  rarely  giving  trouble 
in  whelping,  and  the  puppies  are  not  difficult  to  rear.  Their 
chief  dangers  are  gastritis  and  congestion  of  the  lungs,  which 
can  be  avoided  with  careful  treatment.  It  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  dense  coat  of  the  Poodle  takes  a  long  time 
to  dry  after  being  wetted,  and  that  if  the  dog  has  been  out 
in  the  rain,  and  got  his  coat  soaked,  or  if  he  has  been  washed 
or  allowed  to  jump  into  a  pond,  you  must  take  care  not  to 
leave  him  in  a  cold  place  or  to  lie  inactive  before  he  is  perfectly 
dry. 

Most  Poodles  are  kept  in  the  house  or  in  enclosed  kennels, 
well  protected  from  draught  and  moisture,  and  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  so  keeping  them,  as  they  are  naturally  obedient 
and  easily  taught  to  be  clean  in  the  house  and  to  be  regular 
in  their  habits. 

The  coat  of  a  curly  Poodle  should  be  kept  fleecy  and  free 
from  tangle  by  being  periodically  combed  and  brushed.  The 
grooming  keeps  the  skin  clean  and  healthy,  and  frequent 
washing,  even  for  a  white  dog,  is  not  necessary.  The  dog 
will,  of  course,  require  clipping  from  time  to  time.  In  Paris 
at  present  it  is  the  fashion  to  clip  the  greater  part  of  the  body 
and  hind-quarters,  but  the  English  Poodle  Club  recommends 
that  the  coat  be  left  on  as  far  down  the  body  as  the  last  rib, 
and  it  is  also  customary  with  us  to  leave  a  good  deal  of  coat 
on  the  hind-quarters. 

Probably  the  best-known  Poodle  of  his  day  in  this  country 
was  Ch.  The  Model,  a  black  corded  dog  belonging  to  Mr.  H.  A. 
Dagois,  who  imported  him  from  the  Continent.  Model  was 
a  medium-sized  dog,  very  well  proportioned,  and  with  a 
beautifully  moulded  head  and  dark,  expressive  eyes,  and  I 


THE  POODLE  75 

believe  was  only  once  beaten  in  the  show  ring.  He  died  some 
few  years  ago  at  a  ripe  old  age,  but  a  great  many  of  the  best- 
known  Poodles  of  the  present  day  claim  relationship  to  him. 
One  of  his  most  famous  descendants  was  Ch.  The  Joker, 
also  black  corded,  who  was  very  successful  at  exhibitions. 
Another  very  handsome  dog  was  Ch.  Vladimir,  again  a 
black  corded,  belonging  to  Miss  Haulgrave. 

Since  1905  the  curly  Poodles  have  very  much  improved, 
and  the  best  specimens  of  the  breed  are  now  to  be  found  in  their 
ranks.  Ch.  Orchard  Admiral,  the  property  of  Mrs.  Crouch, 
a  son  of  Ch.  The  Joker  and  Lady  Godiva,  is  probably  the  best 
specimen  living.  White  Poodles,  of  which  Mrs.  Crouch's 
Orchard  White  Boy  is  a  notable  specimen,  ought  to  be  more 
widely  kept  than  they  are,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
task  of  keeping  a  full-sized  white  Poodle's  coat  clean  in  a 
town  is  no  light  one. 

Toy  White  Poodles,  consequently,  are  very  popular.  The 
toy  variety  should  not  exceed  fifteen  inches  in  height  at  the 
shoulder,  and  in  all  respects  should  be  a  miniature  of  the  full- 
sized  dog,  with  the  same  points. 

POINTS  OF  THE  PERFECT  POODLE  :  General  Appearance—That 
of  a  very  active,  intelligent,  and  elegant-looking  dog,  well  built,  and 
carrying  himself  very  proudly.  Head — Long,  straight,  and  fine, 
the  skull  not  broad,  with  a  slight  peak  at  the  back.  Muzzle — Long 
(but  not  snipy)  and  strong — not  full  in  cheek  ;  teeth  white,  strong, 
and  level ;  gums  black,  lips  black  and  not  showing  lippiness.  Eyes — 
Almond  shaped,  very  dark,  full  of  fire  and  intelligence.  Nose — Black 
and  sharp.  Ears — The  leather  long  and  wide,  low  set  on,  hanging 
close  to  the  face.  Neck — Well  proportioned  and  strong,  to  admit  of 
the  head  being  carried  high  and  with  dignity.  Shoulders — Strong  and 
muscular,  sloping  well  to  the  back.  Chest — Deep  and  moderately  wide. 
Back — Short,  strong,  and  slightly  hollowed,  the  loins  broad  and  muscu- 
lar, the  ribs  well  sprung  and  braced  up.  Feet — Rather  small,  and  of 
good  shape,  the  toes  well  arched,  pads  thick  and  hard.  Legs — Fore- 
legs set  straight  from  shoulder,  with  plenty  of  bone  and  muscle.  Hind- 
legs  very  muscular  and  well  bent,  with  the  hocks  well  let  down.  Tail — 
Set  on  rather  high,  well  carried,  never  curled  or  carried  over  back. 
Coat — Very  profuse,  and  of  good  hard  texture  ;  if  corded,  hanging  in 
tight,  even  cords  ;  if  non-corded,  very  thick  and  strong,  of  even  length, 
the  curls  close  and  thick,  without  knots  or  cords.  Colours — All  black, 
all  white,  all  red,  all  blue.  The  White  Poodle  should  have  dark  eyes, 
black  or  very  dark  liver  nose,  lips,  and  toe-nails.  The  Red  Poodle  should 


76         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

have  dark  amber  eyes,  dark  liver  nose,  lips,  and  toe-nails.  The  Blue 
Poodle  should  be  of  even  colour,  and  have  dark  eyes,  lips,  and  toe-nails. 
All  the  other  points  of  White,  Red,  and  Blue  Poodles  should  be  the 
same  as  the  perfect  Black  Poodle. 

N.B. — It  is  strongly  recommended  that  only  one-third  of  the  body 
be"clipped  or  shaved,  and  that  the  hair  on  the  forehead  be  left  on. 


CHAPTER    XII 
THE    SCHIPPERKE 

THE  Schipperke  may  fitly  be  described  as  the  Paul  Pry  of 
canine  society.  His  insatiate  inquisitiveness  induces  him  to 
poke  his  nose  into  everything  ;  every  strange  object  excites 
his  curiosity,  and  he  will,  if  possible,  look  behind  it ;  the 
slightest  noise  arouses  his  attention,  and  he  wants  to  investi- 
gate its  cause.  There  is  no  end  to  his  liveliness,  but  he  moves 
about  with  almost  catlike  agility  without  upsetting  any 
objects  in  a  room,  and  when  he  hops  he  has  a  curious  way  of 
catching  up  his  hind  legs.  The  Schipperke's  disposition  is 
most  affectionate,  tinged  with  a  good  deal  of  jealousy,  and 
even  when  made  one  of  the  household  he  generally  attaches 
himself  more  particularly  to  one  person,  whom  he  "  owns," 
and  whose  protection  he  deems  his  special  duty. 

These  qualities  endear  the  Schipperke  as  a  canine  com- 
panion, with  a  quaint  and  lovable  character;  and  he  is  also 
a  capital  vermin  dog.  When  properly  entered  he  cannot 
be  surpassed  as  a  "  ratter." 

Schipperkes  have  always  been  kept  as  watch-dogs  on  the 
Flemish  canal  barges,  and  that,  no  doubt,  is  the  origin  of  the 
name,  which  is  the  Flemish  for  "  Little  Skipper,"  the  syllable 
"  ke  "  forming  the  diminutive  of  "  schipper." 

The  respectable  antiquity  of  this  dog  is  proved  by  the 
result  of  the  researches  Mr.  Van  der  Snickt  and  Mr.  Van 
Buggenhoudt  made  in  the  archives  of  Flemish  towns,  which 
contain  records  of  the  breed  going  back  in  pure  type  over  a 
hundred  years. 

The  first  Schipperke  which  appeared  at  a  show  in  this  coun- 
try was  Mr.  Berne's  Flo.  This  was,  however,  such  a  mediocre 
specimen  that  it  did  not  appeal  to  the  taste  of  the  English 

77 


78    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

dog-loving  public.  In  1888  Dr.  Seelig  brought  over  Skip, 
Drieske,  and  Mia.  The  first-named  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
E.  B.  Joachim,  and  the  two  others  by  Mr.  G.  R.  Krehl.  Later 
on  Mr.  Joachim  became  the  owner  of  Mr.  Green's  Shtoots, 
and  bought  Fritz  of  Spa  in  Belgium,  and  these  dogs  formed 
the  nucleus  of  the  two  kennels  which  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  breed  in  England. 

It  was  probably  the  introduction  of  the  Schipperke  to 
England  that  induced  Belgian  owners  to  pay  greater  attention 
to  careful  breeding,  and  a  club  was  started  in  1888  in  Brussels, 
whose  members,  after  "  long  and  earnest  consideration," 
settled  a  description  and  standard  of  points  for  the  breed. 

Not  long  afterwards  the  Schipperke  Club  (England)  was 
inaugurated,  and  drew  up  the  following  standard  of  points, 
which  was  adopted  in  December,  1890,  and  differed  only  very 
slightly  from  the  one  acknowledged  by  the  Belgian  society 
and  later  by  the  St.  Hubert  Schipperke  Club. 

STANDARD  OF  POINTS  OF  THE  SCHIPPERKE  CLUB,  ENGLAND  : 
Head — Foxy  in  type ;  skull  should  not  be  round,  but  broad,  and 
with  little  stop.  The  muzzle  should  be  moderate  in  length,  fine  but 
not  weak,  should  be  well  filled  out  under  the  eyes.  Nose — Black  and 
small.  Eyes — Dark  brown,  small,  more  oval  than  round,  and  not 
full ;  bright,  and  full  of  expression.  Ears — Shape :  Of  moderate 
length,  not  too  broad  at  the  base,  tapering  to  a  point.  Carriage  : 
Stiffly  erect,  and  when  in  that  position  the  inside  edge  to  form  as  near 
as  possible  a  right  angle  with  the  skull  and  strong  enough  not  to  be  bent 
otherwise  than  lengthways.  Teeth — Strong  and  level.  Neck — Strong 
and  full,  rather  short,  set  broad  on  the  shoulders  and  slightly  arched. 
Shoulders — Muscular  and  sloping.  Chest — Broad  and  deep  in  brisket. 
Back — Short,  straight,  and  strong.  Loins — Powerful,  well  drawn  up 
from  the  brisket.  Fore-Legs — Perfectly  straight,  well  under  the  body, 
with  bone  in  proportion  to  the  body.  Hind-Legs — Strong,  muscular, 
hocks  well  let  down.  Feet — Small,  catlike,  and  standing  well  on  the 
toes.  Nails — Black.  Hind-quarters — Fine  compared  to  the  fore-parts, 
muscular  and  well-developed  thighs,  tailless,  rump  well  rounded. 
Coat — Black,  abundant,  dense,  and  harsh,  smooth  on  the  head,  ears 
and  legs,  lying  close  on  the  back  and  sides,  but  erect  and  thick  round 
the  neck,  forming  a  mane  and  frill,  and  well  feathered  on  back  of  thighs. 
Weight — About  twelve  pounds.  General  Appearance — A  small  cobby 
animal  with  sharp  expression,  intensely  lively,  presenting  the  appear- 
ance of  being  always  on  the  alert.  Disqualifying  Points — Drop,  or 
semi-erect  ears.^  Faults — White  hairs  are  objected  to,  but  are  not 
disqualifying. 


THE  SCHIPPERKE  79 

The  back  of  the  Schipperke  is  described  as  straight,  but  it 
should  round  off  at  the  rump,  which  should  be  rotund  and  full, 
guinea-pig-like.  The  continued  straight  line  of  a  terrier's 
back  is  not  desirable,  but  it  will  frequently  be  found  in  speci- 
mens that  have  been  docked.  The  Belgian  standard  requires 
the  legs  to  be  "  fine,"  and  not  have  much  bone.  The  bone  of  a 
terrier  is  only  met  with  in  coarse  Schipperkes.  As  to  size,  it  need 
only  be  noted  that  the  maximum  of  the  small  size,  viz.,  12  Ibs., 
is  that  generally  preferred  in  England,  as  well  as  in  Belgium. 
Further,  it  is  only  necessary  to  remark  that  the  Schipperke 
is  a  dog  of  quality,  of  distinct  characteristics,  cobby  in  appear- 
ance, not  long  in  the  back,  nor  high  on  the  leg ;  the  muzzle 
must  not  be  weak  and  thin,  nor  short  and  blunt ;  and,  finally, 
he  is  not  a  prick-eared,  black  wire-haired  terrier. 

The  Schipperke 's  tail,  or  rather  its  absence,  has  been  the 
cause  of  much  discussion,  and  at  one  time  gave  rise  to  con- 
siderable acrimonious  feeling  amongst  fanciers.  On  the 
introduction  of  this  dog  into  Great  Britain  it  arrived  from 
abroad  with  the  reputation  of  being  a  tailless  breed,  but 
whether  Belgian  owners  accidentally  conveyed  that  im- 
pression or  did  it  purposely  to  give  the  breed  an  additional 
distinction  is  difficult  to  say.  Anyhow  the  Schipperke  is  no 
more  "  tailless  "  than  the  old  English  Sheepdog.  That  is 
to  say  a  larger  number  of  individuals  are  born  without  any 
caudal  appendage  or  only  a  stump  of  a  tail  than  in  any  other 
variety  of  dogs.  It  is  said  that  a  docked  dog  can  be  told 
from  one  that  has  been  born  tailless  in  this  way ;  when 
the  docked  animal  is  pleased,  a  slight  movement  at  the  end 
of  the  spine  where  the  tail  was  cut  off  is  discernible,  but  the 
naturally  tailless  dog  sways  the  whole  of  its  hind-quarters. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE    BLOODHOUND 

THE  Bloodhound  was  much  used  in  olden  times  in  hunting 
and  in  the  pursuit  of  fugitives  ;  two  services  for  which  his 
remarkable  acuteness  of  smell,  his  ability  to  keep  to  the 
particular  scent  on  which  he  is  first  laid,  and  the  intelligence 
and  pertinacity  with  which  he  follows  up  the  trail,  admirably 
fit  him.  The  use  and  employment  of  these  dogs  date  back 
into  remote  antiquity.  We  have  it  on  the  authority  of  Strabo 
that  they  were  used  against  the  Gauls,  and  we  have  certain 
knowledge  that  they  were  employed  not  only  in  the  frequent 
feuds  of  the  Scottish  clans,  and  in  the  continuous  border  forays 
of  those  days,  but  also  during  the  ever-recurring  hostilities 
between  England  and  Scotland. 

Indeed,  the  very  name  of  the  dog  calls  up  visions  of  feudal 
castles,  with  their  trains  of  knights  and  warriors  and  all  the 
stirring  panorama  of  these  brave  days  of  old,  when  the  only 
tenure  of  life,  property,  or  goods  was  by  the  strong  hand. 

This  feudal  dog  is  frequently  pictured  by  the  poet  in  his 
ballads  and  romances,  and  in  "  The  Lady  of  the  Lake  "  we 
find  the  breed  again  mentioned  as 

"  —dogs  of  black  St.  Hubert's  breed, 
Unmatched  for  courage,  breath,  and  speed." 

These  famous  black  Bloodhounds,  called  St.  Huberts,  are 
supposed  to  have  been  brought  by  pilgrims  from  the  Holy 
Land.  Another  larger  breed,  also  known  by  the  same  name, 
were  pure  white,  and  -another  kind  were  greyish-red.  The 
dogs  of  the  present  day  are  probably  a  blend  of  all  these 
varieties. 

80 


BLOODHOUND     CH.     CHATLEY     BEAUFORT.       BY    CH.     CHATLEY 

BLAZER— CHATLEY    FRIVOL.     BRED  AND    OWNED  BY  MRS.    G.   A. 

OLIPHANT,  SHREWTON,   WILTS 


THE  BLOODHOUND  81 

The  Bloodhound,  from  the  nobler  pursuit  of  heroes  and 
knights,  came  in  later  years  to  perform  the  work  of  the  more 
modern  detective  ;  but  in  this  also  his  services  were  in  time 
superseded  by  the  justice's  warrant  and  the  police  officer. 
We  find  it  recorded  about  1805,  however,  that  "  the  Thrapston 
Association  for  the  Prevention  of  Felons  in  Northamptonshire 
have  provided  and  trained  a  Bloodhound  for  the  detection  of 
sheep-stealers." 

The  reputation  it  obtained  for  sagacity  and  fierceness  in  the 
capture  of  runaway  slaves,  and  the  cruelties  attributed  to  it  in 
connection  with  the  suppression  of  the  various  negro  risings, 
especially  that  of  the  Maroons,  have  given  the  animal  an 
evil  repute,  which  more  probably  should  attach  to  those 
who  made  the  animal's  courage  and  sagacity  a  means  for  the 
gratification  of  their  own  revolting  cruelty  of  disposition.  It 
has  been  justly  remarked  that  if  entire  credence  be  given  to 
the  description  that  was  transmitted  through  the  country 
of  this  extraordinary  animal,  it  might  be  supposed  that  the 
Spaniards  had  obtained  the  ancient  and  genuine  breed  of 
Cerberus  himself. 

Coming  again  to  this  country,  we  find  the  Bloodhound 
used  from  time  to  time  in  pursuit  of  poachers  and  criminals, 
and  in  many  instances  the  game  recovered  and  the  man 
arrested. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  police  in  country  districts, 
and  at  our  convict  prisons,  could  use  Bloodhounds  to  ad- 
vantage ;  but  public  sentiment  is  decidedly  against  the  idea, 
and  although  one  of  His  Majesty's  prisons  has  been  offered 
a  working  hound  for  nothing,  the  authorities  have  refused 
to  consider  the  question  or  give  the  hound  a  trial. 

Half  a  century  ago  the  Bloodhound  was  so  little  esteemed 
in  this  country  that  the  breed  was  confined  to  the  kennels 
of  a  very  few  owners  ;  but  the  institution  of  dog  shows  induced 
these  owners  to  bring  their  hounds  into  public  exhibition, 
when  it  was  seen  that,  like  the  Mastiff,  the  Bloodhound  claimed 
the  advantage  of  having  many  venerable  ancestral  trees  to 
G 


82    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

branch  from.  At  the  first  Birmingham  show,  in  1860,  Lord 
Bagot  brought  out  a  team  from  a  strain  which  had  been  in 
his  lordship's  family  for  two  centuries,  and  at  the  same  ex- 
hibition there  was  entered  probably  one  of  the  best  Blood- 
hounds ever  seen,  in  Mr.  T.  A.  Jenning's  Druid.  Known  now 
as  "  Old  "  Druid,  this  dog  was  got  by  Lord  Faversham's 
Raglan  out  of  Baron  Rothschild's  historic  bitch  Fury,  and 
his  blood  goes  down  in  collateral  veins  through  Mr.  L.  G. 
Morrel's  Margrave,  Prince  Albert  Solm's  Druid,  and  Mr. 
Edwin  Brough's  Napier  into  the  pedigrees  of  many  of  the 
celebrated  hounds  of  the  present  day. 

Another  famous  Druid — grandsire  of  Colonel  Co  wen's 
hound  of  the  name — was  owned  by  the  Hon.  Grantley  Berke- 
ley. This  typical  dog  was  unsurpassed  in  his  time,  and  his 
talent  in  following  a  line  of  scent  was  astonishing.  His  only 
blemish  was  one  of  character ;  for,  although  usually  as 
good-tempered  as  most  of  the  breed  are,  he  was  easily  aroused 
to  uncontrollable  fits  of  savage  anger. 

Queen  Victoria  at  various  times  was  the  possessor  of 
one  or  more  fine  specimens  of  the  Bloodhound,  procured  for 
her  by  Sir  Edwin  Landseer,  and  a  capital  hound  from  the 
Home  Park  Kennels  at  Windsor  was  exhibited  at  the  London 
Show  in  1869,  the  judge  on  the  occasion  being  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Pearce,  afterwards  known  as  "  Idstone."  Landseer  was 
especially  fond  of  painting  the  majestic  Bloodhound,  and  he 
usually  selected  good  models  for  his  studies.  The  model 
for  the  hound  in  his  well-known  picture,  "  Dignity  and  Im- 
pudence," was  Graf  ton,  who  was  a  collateral  relative  of 
Captain  J.  W.  Clayton's  celebrated  Luath  XI. 

Four  superlative  Bloodhounds  of  the  past  stand  out  in 
unmistakable  eminence  as  the  founders  of  recognised  strains. 
They  are  Mr.  Jenning's  Old  Druid,  Colonel  Co  wen's  Druid, 
Mr.  Reynold  Ray's  Roswell,  and  Captain  Clayton's  Luath  XL  ; 
and  the  owner  of  a  Bloodhound  which  can  be  traced  back  in 
direct  line  of  descent  to  any  one  of  these  four  patriarchs  may 
pride  himself  upon  possessing  a  dog  of  unimpeachable  pedigree. 


THE  BLOODHOUND  83 

Among  breeders  within  recent  years  Mr.  Edwin  Brough,  of 
Scarborough,  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  most  experienced  and 
successful.  No  record  of  the  breed  would  be  complete  without 
some  acknowledgment  of  the  great  services  he  has  rendered 
to  it.  Bloodhounds  of  the  correct  type  would  to-day  have 
been  very  few  and  far  between  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  en- 
thusiasm and  patient  breeding.  Mr.  Brough  bred  and  produced 
many  hounds,  which  all  bore  the  stamp  of  his  ideal,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  for  all-round  quality  his  kennel  stands  first 
in  the  history  of  the  Bloodhound.  His  most  successful  cross 
was,  perhaps,  Beckford  and  Bianca,  and  one  has  only  to 
mention  such  hounds  as  Burgundy,  Babbo,  Benedicta,  and 
Bardolph  to  recall  the  finest  team  of  Bloodhounds  that  has 
ever  been  benched. 

Mrs.  G.  A.  Oliphant,  of  Shrewton,  Wilts,  whose  kennels 
include  Chatley  Blazer  and  Chatley  Beaufort,  has  of  late 
years  been  a  keen  supporter  of  the  breed.  Mrs.  Oliphant, 
who  is  the  president  of  the  ladies'  branch  of  the  Kennel  Club, 
is  a  great  believer  in  hounds  being  workers  first  and  show 
hounds  second,  and  her  large  kennels  have  produced  many 
hounds  of  a  robust  type  and  of  good  size  and  quality.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  as  far  as  hunting  is  concerned  at  the  present 
moment  this  kennel  stands  easily  first.  But  admirable  Blood- 
hounds have  also  given  distinction  to  the  kennels  of  Mr.  S.  H. 
Mangin,  Dr.  Sidney  Turner,  Mr.  Mark  Beaufoy,  Mr.  F.  W. 
Cousens,  Mr.  A.  O.  Mudie,  Lord  Decies,  Mr.  Hood  Wright, 
Mr.  A.  Croxton  Smith,  Dr.  C.  C.  Garfit,  Dr.  Semmence,  and 
Mrs.  C.  Ashton  Cross,  to  mention  only  a  few  owners  and 
breeders  who  have  given  attention  to  this  noble  race  of  dog. 

The  description  of  a  perfect  type  of  dog,  as  defined  by  the 
Association  of  Bloodhound  breeders,  is  as  follows : — 

General  Character — The  Bloodhound  possesses,  in  a  most  marked 
degree,  every  point  and  characteristic  of  those  dogs  which  hunt  to- 
gether by  scent  (Sagaces).  He  is  very  powerful  and  stands  over  more 
ground  than  is  usual  with  hounds  of  other  breeds.  The  skin  is  thin  to 
the  touch  and  extremely  loose,  this  being  more  especially  noticeable 
about  the  head  and  neck,  where  it  hangs  in  deep  folds.  Height — The 


84         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

mean  average  height  of  adult  dogs  is  26  inches  and  of  adult  bitches  24 
inches.  Dogs  usually  vary  from  25  inches  to  27  inches  and  bitches 
from  23  inches  to  25  inches  ;  but  in  either  case  the  greater  height  is 
to  be  preferred,  provided  that  character  and  quality  are  also  com- 
bined. Weight— The  mean  average  weight  of  adult  dogs  in  fair  con- 
dition is  90  pounds  and  of  adult  bitches  80  pounds.  Dogs  attain  the 
weight  of  110  pounds,  bitches  100  pounds.  The  greater  weights  are 
to  be  preferred,  provided  (as  in  the  case  of  height)  that  quality  and 
proportion  are  also  combined.  Expression — The  expression  is  noble 
and  dignified  and  characterised  by  solemnity,  wisdom  and  power. 
Temperament — In  temperament  he  is  extremely  affectionate,  quarrel- 
some neither  with  companions  nor  with  other  dogs.  His  nature  is 
somewhat  shy,  and  equally  sensitive  to  kindness  or  correction  by  his 
master.  Head — The  head  is  narrow  in  proportion  to  its  length  and  long 
in  proportion  to  the  body,  tapering  but  slightly  from  the  temples 
to  the  end  of  the  muzzle  thus  (when  viewed  from  above  and  in  front) 
having  the  appearance  of  being  flattened  at  the  sides  and  of  being  nearly 
equal  in  width  throughout  its  entire  length.  In  profile  the  upper 
outline  of  the  skull  is  nearly  in  the  same  plane  as  that  of  the  foreface. 
The  length  from  end  of  nose  to  stop  (midway  between  the  eyes)  should 
be  not  less  than  that  from  stop  to  back  of  occipital  protuberance  (peak). 
The  entire  length  of  head  from  the  posterior  part  of  the  occipital  pro- 
tuberance to  the  end  of  the  muzzle  should  be  12  inches,  or  more,  in  dogs* 
and  11  inches,  or  more,  in  bitches.  Skull — The  skull  is  long  and 
narrow,  with  the  occipital  peak  very  pronounced.  The  brows  are  not 
prominent,  although,  owing  to  the  deep-set  eyes,  they  may  have  that 
appearance.  Foreface — The  foreface  is  long,  deep,  and  of  even  width 
throughout,  with  square  outline  when  seen  in  profile.  Eyes — The  eyes 
are  deeply  sunk  in  the  orbits,  the  lids  assuming  a  lozenge  or  diamond 
shape,  in  consequence  of  the  lower  lids  being  dragged  down  and  everted 
by  the  heavy  flews.  The  eyes  correspond  with  the  general  tone  of 
colour  of  the  animal,  varying  from  deep  hazel  to  yellow.  The  hazel 
colour  is,  however,  to  be  preferred,  although  very  seldom  seen  in  red- 
and-tan  hounds.  Ears — The  ears  are  thin  and  soft  to  the  touch, 
extremely  long,  set  very  low,  and  fall  in  graceful  folds,  the  lower  parts 
curling  inwards  and  backwards.  Wrinkle — The  head  is  furnished  with 
an  amount  of  loose  skin  which  in  nearly  every  position  appears  super- 
abundant, but  more  particularly  so  when  the  head  is  carried  low  ; 
the  skin  then  falls  into  loose,  pendulous  ridges  and  folds,  especially 
over  the  forehead  and  sides  of  the  face.  Nostrils — The  nostrils  are  large 
and  open.  Lips,  Flews,  and  Dewlap— In  front  the  lips  fall  squarely, 
making  a  right-angle  with  the  upper  line  of  the  foreface,  whilst  behind 
they  form  deep,  hanging  flews,  and,  being  continued  into  the  pendent 
folds  of  loose  skin  about  the  neck,  constitute  the  dewlap,  which  is  very 
pronounced.  These  characters  are  found,  though  in  a  less  degree,  in 
the  bitch.  Neck,  Shoulders,  and  Chest — The  neck  is  long,  the  shoulders 
muscular  and  well  sloped  backwards  ;  the  ribs  are  well  sprung,  and 
the  chest  well  let  down  between  the  forelegs,  forming  a  deep  keel. 
Legs  and  Feet — The  fore-legs  are  straight  and  large  in  bone,  with  elbows 
squarely  set ;  the  feet  strong  and  well  knuckled  up  ;  the  thighs  and 
second  thighs  (gaskins)  are  very  muscular  ;  the  hocks  well  bent  and 


THE  BLOODHOUND  85 

let  down  and  squarely  set.  Back  and  Loins — The  back  and  loins  are 
strong,  the  latter  deep  and  slightly  arched.  Stern — The  stern  is  long 
and  tapering  and  set  on  rather  high,  with  a  moderate  amount  of  hair 
underneath.  Gait — The  gait  is  elastic,  swinging,  and  free — the  stern 
being  carried  high,  but  not  too  much  curled  over  the  back.  Colour — 
The  colours  are  black-and-tan,  red-and-tan,  and  tawny — the  darker 
colours  being  sometimes  interspersed  with  lighter  or  badger-coloured 
hair  and  sometimes  flecked  with  white.  A  small  amount  of  white  is 
permissible  on  chest,  feet,  and  tip  of  stern. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE   OTTERHOUND 

THE  Otterhound  is  a  descendant  of  the  old  Southern  Hound, 
and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  all  hounds  hunting  their 
quarry  by  nose  had  a  similar  source.  Why  the  breed  was  first 
called  the  Southern  Hound,  or  when  his  use  became  practical 
in  Great  Britain,  must  be  subjects  of  conjecture  ;  but  that 
there  was  a  hound  good  enough  to  hold  a  line  for  many  hours 
is  accredited  in  history  that  goes  very  far  back  into  past 
centuries.  The  hound  required  three  centuries  ago  even  was 
all  the  better  esteemed  for  being  slow  and  unswerving  on  a 
line  of  scent,  and  in  many  parts  of  the  Kingdom,  up  to  within 
half  that  period,  the  so-called  Southern  Hound  had  been 
especially  employed.  In  Devonshire  and  Wales  the  last 
sign  of  him  in  his  purity  was  perhaps  when  Captain  Hopwood 
hunted  a  small  pack  of  hounds  very  similar  in  character  on  the 
fitch  or  pole-cat ;  the  modus  operandi  being  to  find  the 
foraging  grounds  of  the  animal,  and  then  on  a  line  that  might 
be  two  days  old  hunt  him  to  his  lair,  often  enough  ten  or  twelve 
miles  off. 

When  this  sort  of  hunting  disappeared,  and  improved 
ideas  of  fox-hunting  came  into  vogue,  there  was  nothing 
left  for  the  Southern  Hound  to  do  but  to  hunt  the  otter.  He 
may  have  done  this  before  at  various  periods,  but  history 
rather  tends  to  show  that  otter-hunting  was  originally  asso- 
ciated with  a  mixed  pack,  and  some  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's 
pages  seem  to  indicate  that  the  Dandie  Dinmont  and  kindred 
Scottish  terriers  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  sport.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  the  rough-coated  terrier  is  identical 

86 


THE  OTTERHOUND  87 

with  the  now  recognised  Otterhound  as  an  offshoot  of  the 
Southern  Hound  ;  but  be  that  as  it  may,  there  has  been  a 
special  breed  of  Otterhound  for  the  last  eighty  years,  very 
carefully  bred  and  gradually  much  improved  in  point  of  appear- 
ance. They  are  beautiful  hounds  to-day,  with  heads  as 
typical  as  those  of  Bloodhounds,  legs  and  feet  that  would 
do  for  Foxhounds,  a  unique  coat  of  their  own,  and  they 
are  exactly  suitable  for  hunting  the  otter,  as  everyone  knows 
who  has  had  the  enjoyment  of  a  day's  sport  on  river  or 
brook. 

The  greatest  otter  hunter  of  the  last  century  may  have  been 
the  Hon.  Geoffrey  Hill,  a  younger  brother  of  the  late  Lord 
Hill.  A  powerful  athlete  of  over  six  feet,  Major  Hill  was  an 
ideal  sportsman  in  appearance,  and  he  was  noted  for  the  long 
distances  he  would  travel  on  foot  with  his  hounds.  They 
were  mostly  of  the  pure  rough  sort,  not  very  big  ;  the  dogs  he 
reckoned  at  about  23^  inches,  bitches  22  :  beautiful  Blood- 
hound type  of  heads,  coats  of  thick,  hard  hair,  big  in  ribs  and 
bones,  and  good  legs  and  feet. 

Major  Hill  seldom  exhibited  his  hounds.  They  were  seen 
now  and  then  at  Birmingham  ;  but,  hunting  as  hard  as  they 
did  through  Shropshire,  Staffordshire,  Cheshire,  and  into 
Wales,  where  they  got  their  best  water,  there  was  not  much 
time  for  showing.  Their  famous  Master  has  been  dead  now 
many  years,  but  his  pack  is  still  going,  and  shows  great  sport 
as  the  Hawkstone  under  the  Mastership  of  Mr.  H.  P.  Wardell, 
the  kennels  being  at  Ludlow  race-course,  Bromfield. 

The  leading  pack  in  the  Kingdom  for  the  last  sixty  years,  at 
any  rate,  has  been  the  Carlisle  when  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  J.  C. 
Carrick,  who  was  famous  both  for  the  sport  he  showed  and 
for  his  breed  of  Otterhound,  so  well  represented  at  all  the 
important  shows.  Such  hounds  as  Lottery  and  Lucifer  were 
very  typical  specimens ;  but  of  late  years  the  entries  of 
Otterhounds  have  not  been  very  numerous  at  the  great  exhi- 
bitions, and  this  can  well  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  they 
are  wanted  in  greater  numbers  for  active  service,  there  being 


88    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

many  more  packs  than  formerly — in  all,  twenty-one  for  the 
United  Kingdom. 

The  sport  of  otter-hunting  is  decidedly  increasing,  as  there 
have  been  several  hunts  started  within  the  last  six  years. 
There  can  well  be  many  more,  as,  according  to  the  opinion  of 
that  excellent  authority,  the  late  Rev.  "  Otter  "  Davies,  as 
he  was  always  called,  there  are  otters  on  every  river ;  but, 
owing  to  the  nocturnal  and  mysterious  habits  of  the  animals, 
their  whereabouts  or  existence  is  seldom  known,  or  even 
suspected.  Hunting  them  is  a  very  beautiful  sport,  and  the 
question  arises  as  to  whether  the  pure  Otterhounds  should  not 
be  more  generally  used  than  they  are  at  present.  It  is  often 
asserted  that  their  continued  exposure  to  water  has  caused  a 
good  deal  of  rheumatism  in  the  breed,  that  they  show  age 
sooner  than  others,  and  that  the  puppies  are  difficult  to  rear. 
There  are,  however,  many  advantages  in  having  a  pure  breed, 
and  there  is  much  to  say  for  the  perfect  work  of  the  Otterhound. 
The  scent  of  the  otter  is  possibly  the  sweetest  of  all  trails  left 
by  animals.  One  cannot  understand  how  it  is  that  an  animal 
swimming  two  or  three  feet  from  the  bottom  of  a  river-bed  and 
the  same  from  the  surface  should  leave  a  clean  line  of  burning 
scent  that  may  remain  for  twelve  or  eighteen  hours.  The 
supposition  must  be  that  the  scent  from  the  animal  at  first 
descends  and  is  then  always  rising.  At  any  rate,  the  oldest 
Foxhound  or  Harrier  that  has  never  touched  otter  is  at  once 
in  ravishing  excitement  on  it,  and  all  dogs  will  hunt  it.  The 
terrier  is  never  keener  than  when  he  hits  on  such  a  line. 

The  Foxhound,  so  wonderful  in  his  forward  dash,  may  have 
too  much  of  it  for  otter  hunting.  The  otter  is  so  wary.  His 
holt  can  very  well  be  passed,  his  delicious  scent  may  be  over- 
run ;  but  the  pure-bred  Otterhound  is  equal  to  all  occasions. 
He  is  terribly  certain  on  the  trail  when  he  finds  it.  Nothing 
can  throw  him  off  it,  and  when  his  deep  note  swells  into  a 
sort  of  savage  howl,  as  he  lifts  his  head  towards  the  roots  of 
some  old  pollard,  there  is  a  meaning  in  it — no  mistake  has  been 
made.  In  every  part  of  a  run  it  is  the  same  ;  the  otter  dodges 


THE  OTTERHOUND  89 

up  stream  and  down,  lands  for  a  moment,  returns  to  his  holt ; 
but  his  adversaries  are  always  with  him,  and  as  one  sees  their 
steady  work  the  impression  becomes  stronger  and  stronger 
that  for  the  real  sport  of  otter-hunting  there  is  nothing  as 
good  as  the  pure-bred  Otterhound.  There  is  something 
so  dignified  and  noble  about  the  hound  of  unsullied  strain 
that  if  you  once  see  a  good  one  you  will  not  soon  forget  him. 
He  is  a  large  hound,  as  he  well  needs  to  be,  for  the  "  varmint  " 
who  is  his  customary  quarry  is  the  wildest,  most  vicious,  and, 
for  its  size,  the  most  powerful  of  all  British  wild  animals, 
the  inveterate  poacher  of  our  salmon  streams,  and  consequently 
to  be  mercilessly  slaughtered,  although  always  in  sporting 
fashion.  To  be  equal  to  such  prey,  the  hound  must  have  a 
Bulldog's  courage,  a  Newfoundland's  strength  in  water, 
a  Pointer's  nose,  a  Retriever's  sagacity,  the  stamina  of  the 
Foxhound,  the  patience  of  a  Beagle,  the  intelligence  of  a 
Collie. 

THE  PERFECT  OTTERHOUND  :  Head— The  head,  which  has 
been  described  as  something  between  that  of  a  Bloodhound  and  that 
of  a  Foxhound,  is  more  hard  and  rugged  than  either.  With  a  narrow 
forehead,  ascending  to  a  moderate  peak.  Ban — The  ears  are  long  and 
sweeping,  but  not  feathered  down  to  the  tips,  set  low  and  lying  flat  to 
the  cheeks.  Eyes — The  eyes  are  large,  dark  and  deeply  set,  having 
a  peculiarly  thoughtful  expression.  They  show  a  considerable  amount 
of  the  haw.  Nose — The  nose  is  large  and  well  developed,  the  nostrils 
expanding.  Muzzle — The  muzzle  well  protected  from  wiry  hair.  The 
jaw  very  powerful  with  deep  flews.  Neck — The  neck  is  strong  and 
muscular,  but  rather  long.  The  dewlap  is  loose  and  folded.  Chest — 
The  chest,  deep  and  capacious,  but  not  too  wide.  Back — The  back  is 
strong,  wide  and  arched.  Shoulders — The  shoulders  ought  to  be 
sloping,  the  arms  and  thighs  substantial  and  muscular.  Feet — The  feet, 
fairly  large  and  spreading,  with  firm  pads  and  strong  nails  to  resist 
sharp  rocks.  Stern — The  stern  when  the  hound  is  at  work  is  carried 
gaily,  like  that  of  a  rough  Welsh  Harrier.  It  is  thick  and  well  covered, 
to  serve  as  a  rudder.  Coat — The  coat  is  wiry,  hard,  long  and  close 
at  the  roots,  impervious  to  water.  Colour — Grey,  or  buff,  or  yellowish, 
or  black,  or  rufus  red,  mixed  with  black  or  grey.  Height — 22  to  24 
inches. 


CHAPTER    XV 
THE   IRISH   WOLFHOUND 

IT  is  now  some  thirty  years  since  an  important  controversy 
was  carried  on  in  the  columns  of  The  Live  Stock  Journal 
on  the  nature  and  history  of  the  great  Irish  Wolfhound. 
The  chief  disputants  in  the  discussion  were  Captain  G.  A. 
Graham,  of  Dursley,  Mr.  G.  W.  Hickman,  Mr.  F.  Adcock,  and 
the  Rev.  M.  B.  Wynn,  and  the  main  point  as  issue  was  whether 
the  dog  then  imperfectly  known  as  the  Irish  Wolfdog  was 
a  true  descendant  of  the  ancient  Cam's  graius  Hibernicus, 
or  whether  it  was  a  mere  manufactured  mongrel,  owing  its 
origin  to  an  admixture  of  the  Great  Dane  and  the  dog  of  the 
Pyrenees,  modified  and  brought  to  type  by  a  cross  with  the 
Highland  Deerhound.  It  was  not  doubted — indeed,  history 
and  tradition  clearly  attested — that  there  had  existed  in 
early  times  in  Ireland  a  very  large  and  rugged  hound  of  Grey- 
hound form,  whose  vocation  it  was  to  hunt  the  wolf,  the  red 
deer,  and  the  fox.  It  was  assuredly  known  to  the  Romans, 
and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  huge  dog  Samr,  which 
Jarl  Gunnar  got  from  the  Irish  king  Myrkiarton  in  the  tenth 
century  and  took  back  with  him  to  Norway,  was  one  of  this 
breed.  But  it  was  supposed  by  many  to  have  become  extinct 
soon  after  the  disappearance  of  the  last  wolf  in  Ireland,  and  it 
was  the  endeavour  of  Captain  Graham  to  demonstrate  that 
specimens,  although  admittedly  degenerate,  were  still  to  be 
found,  and  that  they  were  capable  of  being  restored  to  a 
semblance  of  the  original  type. 

At  the  time  when  he  entered  into  the  controversy,  Captain 
Graham  had  been  actively  interesting  himself  for  something 
like  a  score  of  years  in  the  resuscitation  of  the  breed,  and  his 

90 


THE  IRISH  WOLFHOUND  91 

patience  had  been  well  rewarded.  By  the  year  1881  the 
Irish  Wolfhound  had  been  practically  restored,  although  it  has 
taken  close  upon  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  produce  the  mag- 
nificent champions  Cotswold  and  Cotswold  Patricia,  those 
brilliant  examples  of  the  modern  breed — a  brace  of 
Wolfhounds  who  bear  testimony  to  the  vast  amount 
of  energy  and  perseverance  which  Captain  Graham  and  his 
enthusiastic  colleague  Major  Gamier  displayed  in  evolving  from 
rough  material  the  majestic  breed  that  holds  so  prominent 
a  position  to-day. 

There  is  little  to  be  gathered  from  ancient  writings  con- 
cerning the  size  and  appearance  of  the  Irish  Wolfhounds  in 
early  times.  Exaggerated  figures  are  given  as  to  height  and 
weight ;  but  all  authorities  agree  that  they  were  impressively 
large  and  imposing  dogs,  and  that  they  were  regarded  as  the 
giants  of  the  canine  race. 

It  seems  extraordinary  that  so  little  should  have  been 
accurately  known  and  recorded  of  a  dog  which  at  one  time 
must  have  been  a  familiar  figure  in  the  halls  of  the  Irish  kings. 
It  was  no  mere  mythical  animal  like  the  heraldic  griffin,  but 
an  actual  sporting  dog  which  was  accepted  as  a  national 
emblem  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  associated  with  the  harp  and  the 
shamrock. 

As  regards  the  origin  of  the  Irish  Wolfhound,  more  than  one 
theory  is  advanced.  By  some  authorities  it  is  suggested  that 
it  was  the  dog  which  we  now  know  as  the  Great  Dane.  Others 
hold  that  as  there  were  rough-coated  Greyhounds  in  Ireland, 
it  is  this  dog,  under  another  name,  which  is  now  accepted. 
But  probably  the  late  Captain  Graham  was  nearer  the  truth 
when  he  gave  the  opinion  that  the  Irish  hound  that  was 
kept  to  hunt  wolves  has  never  become  extinct  at  all,  but  is 
now  represented  in  the  Scottish  Deerhound,  only  altered  a 
little  in  size  and  strength  to  suit  the  easier  work  required  of 
it — that  of  hunting  the  deer.  This  is  the  more  probable, 
as  the  fact  remains  that  the  chief  factor  in  the  resuscitation  of 
the  Irish  Wolfhound  has  been  the  Scottish  Deerhound. 


92          DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  result  of  Captain  Graham's  investigations  when  seek- 
ing for  animals  bearing  some  relationship  to  the  original 
Irish  "  Wolfe  Dogge  "  was  that  three  strains  were  to  be  found 
in  Ireland,  but  none  of  the  representatives  at  that  time  was 
anything  like  so  large  as  those  mentioned  in  early  writings, 
and  they  all  appeared  to  have  deteriorated  in  bone 
and  substance.  Sir  J.  Power,  of  Kilfane,  was  responsible  for 
one  line,  Mr.  Baker,  of  Ballytobin,  for  another,  and  Mr. 
Mahoney,  of  Dromore,  for  the  remaining  strain.  From  bitches 
obtained  from  two  of  these  kennels,  Captain  Graham,  by 
crossing  them  with  the  Great  Dane  and  Scottish  Deerhound, 
achieved  the  first  step  towards  producing  the  animal  that  he 
desired.  Later  on  the  Russian  Wolfhound,  better  known 
as  the  Borzoi,  an  exceedingly  large  hound,  was  introduced, 
as  also  were  one  or  two  other  large  breeds  of  dogs. 

The  intermixture  of  these  canine  giants,  however,  was  not 
at  first  very  satisfactory,  as  although  plenty  of  bone  was 
obtained,  many  were  most  ungainly  in  appearance  and  ill- 
shaped  animals  that  had  very  little  about  them  to  attract 
attention.  Captain  Graham,  however,  stuck  to  his  work, 
and  very  soon  the  specimens  that  he  brought  forward  began 
to  show  a  fixity  of  type  both  in  head  and  in  general  outline. 
Brian  was  one  of  his  best  dogs,  but  he  was  not  very  large,  as 
he  only  stood  just  over  thirty  inches  at  the  shoulder.  Banshee 
and  Fintragh  were  others,  but  probably  the  best  of  Captain 
Graham's  kennel  was  the  bitch  Sheelah.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  towards  the  end  of  the  last  century  that  the  most 
perfect  dogs  were  bred.  These  included  O'Leary,  the  property 
of  Mr.  Crisp,  of  Playford  Hall.  O'Leary  is  responsible  for 
many  of  the  best  dogs  of  the  present  day,  and  was  the  sire  of 
Mrs.  Percy  ShewelTs  Ch.  Cotswold,  who  is  undoubtedly  the 
grandest  Irish  Wolfhound  ever  bred.  In  height  Cotswold 
stands  34$  inches  and  is  therefore  perhaps  the  largest  dog  of 
any  breed  now  alive. 

In  1900  Mr.  Crisp  bred  Kilcullen  from  O'Leary,  this  dog 
winning  the  championship  at  the  Kennel  Club  Show  at  the 


THE  IRISH  WOLFHOUND  93 

Crystal  Palace  in  1902  under  Captain  Graham.  This  was 
the  year  the  Irish  Wolfhound  Club  presented  the  hound 
Rajah  of  Kidnal  as  a  regimental  pet  to  the  newly  formed  Irish 
Guards. 

Rajah  of  Kidnal,  who  was  bred  and  exhibited  by  Mrs.  A. 
Gerard,  of  Malpas,  was  the  selection  of  Captain  Graham  and 
two  other  judges.  This  dog,  which  has  been  renamed  Brian 
Boru,  is  still  hearty  and  well,  and  was  at  his  post  on  St. 
Patrick's  Day,  1909,  when  the  shamrock  that  had  been 
sent  by  Her  Majesty  Queen  Alexandra  was  handed  to  the 
men. 

Mrs.  Gerard  owned  one  of  the  largest  kennels  of  Irish  Wolf- 
hounds in  England,  and  amongst  her  many  good  dogs  and 
bitches  was  Cheevra,  who  was  a  wonderful  brood  bitch,  and 
included  amongst  her  stock  were  several  that  worked  their 
way  up  to  championship  honours  ;  she  was  the  dam  of  Rajah 
of  Kidnal. 

Besides  Ballyhooley,  Mr.  W.  Williams  owned  a  good  dog 
in  Finn  by  Brian  II.  Finn  produced  Miss  Packe's  Wickham 
Lavengro,  a  black  and  tan  dog  that  has  won  several  prizes. 
Some  judges  are  opposed  to  giving  prizes  to  Irish  Wolfhounds 
of  this  colour,  but  Captain  Graham  did  not  object  to  it.  Finn 
was  a  very  heavy  dog,  and  weighed  148  Ibs. 

A  hound  that  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  the  breed  in  Ire- 
land is  Ch.  Marquis  of  Donegal,  the  property  of  Mr.  Martin. 

Amongst  the  bitches  that  have  been  instrumental  in  build- 
ing up  the  breed  to  its  present  high  state  of  excellence  is 
Princess  Patricia  of  Connaught  who  is  by  Dermot  Astore  out 
of  Cheevra,  and  is  the  dam  of  Ch.  Cotswold  Patricia.  She  is 
one  of  the  tallest  of  her  race,  her  height  being  33  inches  ; 
another  bitch  that  measures  the  same  number  of  inches  at 
the  shoulder  being  Dr.  Pitts-Tucker's  Juno  of  the  Fen,  a 
daughter  of  Ch.  Wargrave. 

Mr.  Everett,  of  Felixstowe,  is  now  one  of  the  most  successful 
breeders.  He  exhibited  at  the  1908  Kennel  Club  show  a 
most  promising  young  dog  in  Felixstowe  Kilronan,  with  which 


94         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

he  was  second  to  Mrs.  ShewelTs  Ch.  Cotswold,  of  whom  he 
is  now  kennel  companion.  At  the  same  show  Miss  Clifford,  of 
Ryde,  exhibited  a  good  hound  in  Wildcroft,  another  of 
Dermot  Astore's  sons,  and  other  supporters  of  the  breed  are 
Lady  Kathleen  Pilkington,  Mr.  T.  Hamilton  Adams,  Mr.  G.  H. 
Thurston,  Mr.  Bailey,  Mrs.  F.  Marshall,  Mr.  J.  L.  T.  Dobbin, 
and  Miss  Ethel  McCheane. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  the  variety  as  drawn 
up  by  the  Club  : — 

General  Appearance — The  Irish  Wolfhound  should  not  be  quite  so 
heavy  or  massive  as  the  Great  Dane,  but  more  so  than  the  Deerhound, 
which  in  general  type  he  should  otherwise  resemble.  Of  great  size 
and  commanding  appearance,  very  muscular,  strongly  though  grace- 
fully built ;  movements  easy  and  active  ;  head  and  neck  carried  high  ; 
the  tail  carried  with  an  upward  sweep,  with  a  slight  curve  towards 
the  extremity.  The  minimum  height  and  weight  of  dogs  should  be 
31  inches  and  120  pounds,  of  bitches  28  inches  and  90  pounds.  Any- 
thing below  this  should  be  debarred  from  competition.  Great  size, 
including  height  at  shoulder  and  proportionate  length  of  body,  is  the 
desideratum  to  be  aimed  at,  and  it  is  desired  firmly  to  establish  a  race 
that  shall  average  from  32  inches  to  34  inches  in  dogs,  showing  the 
requisite  power,  activity,  courage,  and  symmetry.  Head — Long,  the 
frontal  bones  of  the  forehead  very  slightly  raised  and  very  little  in- 
dentation between  the  eyes.  Skull  not  too  broad  ;  muzzle  long  and 
moderately  pointed ;  ears  small  and  Greyhound-like  in  carriage. 
Neck — Rather  long,  very  strong  and  muscular,  well  arched,  without 
dewlap  and  loose  skin  about  the  throat.  Chest — Very  deep,  breast 
wide.  Back — Rather  long  than  short.  Loins  arched.  Tall — Long 
and  slightly  curved,  of  moderate  thickness,  and  well  covered  with  hair. 
Belly — Well  drawn  up.  Fore-quarters — Shoulders  muscular,  giving 
breadth  of  chest,  set  sloping,  elbows  well  under,  neither  turned  inwards 
nor  outwards.  Leg — Forearm  muscular  and  the  whole  leg  strong  and 
quite  straight.  Hind-quarters — Muscular  thighs,  and  second  thigh 
long  and  strong  as  in  the  Greyhound,  and  hocks  well  let  down  and 
turning  neither  in  nor  out.  Feet — Moderately  large  and  round,  neither 
turned  inwards  nor  outwards  ;  toes  well  arched  and  closed,  nails  very 
strong  and  curved.  Hair — Rough  and  hard  on  body,  legs,  and  head  ; 
especially  why  and  long  over  eyes  and  under  jaw.  Colour  and  Mark- 
ings— The  recognised  colours  are  grey,  brindle,  red,  black,  pure  white, 
fawn,  or  any  colour  that  appears  in  the  Deerhound.  Faults — Too  light 
or  heavy  in  head,  too  highly  arched  frontal  bone,  large  ears  and  hanging 
flat  to  the  face ;  short  neck  ;  full  dewlap ;  too  narrow  or  too  broad 
a  chest ;  sunken  and  hollow  or  quite  level  back ;  bent  fore-legs ;  over- 
bent  fetlocks  ;  twisted  feet ;  spreading  toes  ;  too  curly  a  tail ;  weak 
hind-quarters,  cow  hocks,  and  a  general  want  of  muscle;  too  short 
in  body. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE   DEERHOUND 

THE  Deerhound  is  one  of  the  most  decorative  of  dogs,  im- 
pressively stately  and  picturesque  wherever  he  is  seen,  whether 
it  be  amid  the  surroundings  of  the  baronial  hall,  reclining  at 
luxurious  length  before  the  open  hearth  in  the  fitful  light  of 
the  log  fire  that  flickers  on  polished  armour  and  tarnished 
tapestry  ;  out  in  the  open,  straining  at  the  leash  as  he  scents 
the  dewy  air,  or  gracefully  bounding  over  the  purple  of  his 
native  hills.  Grace  and  majesty  are  in  his  every  movement 
and  attitude,  and  even  to  the  most  prosaic  mind  there  is 
about  him  the  inseparable  glamour  of  feudal  romance  and 
poetry.  He  is  at  his  best  alert  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase  ; 
but  all  too  rare  now  is  the  inspiring  sight  that  once  was  com- 
mon among  the  mountains  of  Morven  and  the  glens  of  Argyll 
of  the  deep-voiced  hound  speeding  in  pursuit  of  his  antlered 
prey,  racing  him  at  full  stretch  along  the  mountain's  ridge,  or 
baying  him  at  last  in  the  fastness  of  darksome  corrie  or  deep 
ravine.  Gone  are  the  good  romantic  days  of  stalking  beloved 
by  Scrope.  The  Highlands  have  lost  their  loneliness,  and  the 
inventions  of  the  modern  gunsmith  have  robbed  one  of  the 
grandest  of  hunting  dogs  of  his  glory,  relegating  him  to  the  life 
of  a  pedestrian  pet,  whose  highest  dignity  is  the  winning  of  a 
pecuniary  prize  under  Kennel  Club  rules. 

Historians  of  the  Deerhound  associate  him  with  the  original 
Irish  Wolfdog,  of  whom  he  is  obviously  a  close  relative,  and  it 
is  sure  that  when  the  wolf  still  lingered  in  the  land  it  was  the 
frequent  quarry  of  the  Highland  as  of  the  Hibernian  hound. 
Legend  has  it  that  Prince  Ossian,  son  of  Fingal,  King  of 
Morven,  hunted  the  wolf  with  the  grey,  long-bounding  dogs. 

95 


96    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

"Swift-footed  Luath "  and  "White-breasted  Bran"  are 
among  the  names  of  Ossian's  hounds.  I  am  disposed  to 
affirm  that  the  old  Irish  Wolfhound  and  the  Highland  Deer- 
hound  are  not  only  intimately  allied  in  form  and  nature,  but 
that  they  are  two  strains  of  an  identical  breed,  altered  only 
in  size  by  circumstance  and  environment. 

Whatever  the  source  of  the  Highland  Deerhound,  and  at 
whatever  period  it  became  distinct  from  its  now  larger  Irish 
relative,  it  was  recognised  as  a  native  dog  in  Scotland  in  very 
early  times,  and  it  was  distinguished  as  being  superior  in 
strength  and  beauty  to  the  hounds  of  the  Picts. 

From  remote  days  the  Scottish  nobles  cherished  their  strains 
of  Deerhound,  seeking  glorious  sport  in  the  Highland  forests. 
The  red  deer  belonged  by  inexorable  law  to  the  kings  of 
Scotland,  and  great  drives,  which  often  lasted  for  several  days, 
were  made  to  round  up  the  herds  into  given  neighbourhoods 
for  the  pleasure  of  the  court,  as  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary. 
But  the  organised  coursing  of  deer  by  courtiers  ceased  during 
the  Stuart  troubles,  and  was  left  in  the  hands  of  retainers, 
who  thus  replenished  their  chief's  larder. 

The  revival  of  deerstalking  dates  back  hardly  further  than 
a  hundred  years.  It  reached  its  greatest  popularity  in  the 
Highlands  at  the  time  when  the  late  Queen  and  Prince  Albert 
were  in  residence  at  Balmoral.  Solomon,  Hector,  and  Bran 
were  among  the  Balmoral  hounds.  Bran  was  an  especially 
fine  animal — one  of  the  best  of  his  time,  standing  over  thirty 
inches  in  height. 

Two  historic  feats  of  strength  and  endurance  illustrate  the 
tenacity  of  the  Deerhound  at  work.  A  brace  of  half-bred 
dogs,  named  Percy  and  Douglas,  the  property  of  Mr.  Scrope, 
kept  a  stag  at  bay  from  Saturday  night  to  Monday  morning  ; 
and  the  pure  bred  Bran  by  himself  pulled  down  two  un- 
wounded  stags,  one  carrying  ten  and  the  other  eleven  tines. 
These,  of  course,  are  record  performances,  but  they  demon- 
strate the  possibilities  of  the  Deerhound  when  trained  to  his 
natural  sport. 


THE  DEERHOUND  97 

Driving  was  commonly  resorted  to  in  the  extensive  forests, 
but  nowadays  when  forests  are  sub-divided  into  limited  shoot- 
ings the  deer  are  seldom  moved  from  their  home  preserves, 
whilst  with  the  use  of  improved  telescopes  and  the  small-bore 
rifle,  stalking  has  gone  out  of  fashion.  With  guns  having  a 
muzzle  velocity  of  2,500  feet  per  second,  it  is  no  longer  necess- 
ary for  sportsmen  stealthily  to  stalk  their  game  to  come  within 
easy  range,  and  as  for  hounds,  they  have  become  a  doubtful 
appendage  to  the  chase. 

Primarily  and  essentially  the  Deerhound  belongs  to  the 
order  Agaseus,  hunting  by  sight  and  not  by  scent,  and  although 
he  may  indeed  occasionally  put  his  nose  to  the  ground,  yet  his 
;  powers  of  scent  are  nol  remarkable.  His  vocation,  therefore, 
has  undergone  a  change,  and  it  was  recently  ascertained  that 
of  sixty  deer  forests  there  were  only  six  upon  which  Deerhounds 
were  kept  for  sporting  purposes. 

Happily  the  Deerhound  has  suffered  no  decline  in  the 
favour  bestowed  upon  him  for  his  own  sake.  The  contrary  is 
rather  the  case,  and  he  is  still  an  aristocrat  among  dogs, 
valued  for  his  good  looks,  the  symmetry  of  his  form,  his 
grace  and  elegance,  and  even  more  so  for  his  faithful  and 
affectionate  nature.  Sir  Walter  Scott  declared  that  he  was 
"  a  most  perfect  creature  of  heaven,"  and  when  one  sees 
him  represented  in  so  beautiful  a  specimen  of  his  noble  race 
as  St.  Ronan's  Rhyme,  for  example,  or  Talisman,  or  Ayrshire, 
one  is  tempted  to  echo  this  high  praise. 

Seven-and-twenty  years  ago  Captain  Graham  drew  up  a  list 
of  the  most  notable  dogs  of  the  last  century.  Among  these 
j  were  Sir  St.  George  Gore's  Gruim  (1843-44),  Black  Bran 
(1850-51)  ;  the  Marquis  of  Breadalbane's  King  of  the  Forest, 
said  to  stand  33  inches  high  ;  Mr.  Beaseley's  Alder  (1863-67), 
bred  by  Sir  John  McNeill  of  Colonsay  ;  Mr.  Donald  Cameron's 
Torrum  (1869),  and  his  two  sons  Monzie  and  Young  Torrum  ; 
and  Mr.  Dadley's  Hector,  who  was  probably  the  best-bred 
dog  living  in  the  early  eighties.  Torrum,  however,  appears 
to  have  been  the  most  successful  of  these  dogs  at  stud.  He  was 


98    DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

an  exceedingly  grand  specimen  of  his  race,  strong  framed, 
with  plenty  of  hair  of  a  blue  brindle  colour.  Captain  Graham 's 
own  dog  Keildar,  who  had  been  trained  for  deerstalking  in 
Windsor  Park,  was  perhaps  one  of  the  most  elegant  and 
aristocratic-looking  Deerhounds  ever  seen.  His  full  height 
was  30  inches,  girth  33$  inches,  and  weight,  95  Ibs.,  his  colour 
bluish  fawn,  slightly  brindled,  the  muzzle  and  ears  being  blue. 
His  nearest  competitor  for  perfection  was,  after  Hector, 
probably  Mr.  Hood  Wright's  Bevis,  a  darkish  red  brown 
brindle  of  about  29  inches.  Mr.  Wright  was  the  breeder  of 
Champion  Selwood  Morven,  who  was  the  celebrity  of  his  race 
about  1897,  and  who  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Harry 
Rawson.  This  stately  dog  was  a  dark  heather  brindle,  stand- 
ing 32t  inches  at  the  shoulder,  with  a  chest  girth  of  34^ 
inches. 

A  few  years  ago  breeders  were  inclined  to  mar  the  beauty  of 
the  Deerhound  by  a  too  anxious  endeavour  to  obtain  great 
size  rather  than  to  preserve  the  genuine  type  ;  but  this  error 
has  been  sufficiently  corrected,  with  the  result  that  symmetry 
and  elegance  conjoined  with  the  desired  attributes  of  speed  are 
not  sacrificed.  The  qualities  aimed  at  now  are  a  height  of 
something  less  than  30  inches,  and  a  weight  not  greater  than 
105  Ibs.,  with  straight  fore-legs  and  short,  cat-like  feet,  a 
deep  chest,  with  broad,  powerful  loins,  slightly  arched,  and 
strength  of  hind-quarters,  with  well-bent  stifles,  and  the  hocks 
well  let  down.  Straight  stifles  are  objectionable,  giving  a 
stilty  appearance.  Thick  shoulders  are  equally  a  blemish  to 
be  avoided,  as  also  a  too  great  heaviness  of  bone.  The 
following  is  the  accepted  standard  of  merit. 

Head — The  head  should  be  broadest  at  the  ears,  tapering  slightly 
to  the  eyes,  with  the  muzzle  tapering  more  decidedly  to  the  nose. 
The  muzzle  should  be  pointed,  but  the  teeth  and  lips  level.  The  head 
should  be  long,  the  skull  flat  rather  than  round,  with  a  very  slight  rise 
over  the  eyes,  but  with  nothing  approaching  a  stop.  The  skull  should 
be  coated  with  moderately  long  hair  which  is  softer  than  the  rest 
of  the  coat.  The  nose  should  be  black  (though  in  some  blue-fawns 
the  colour  is  blue)  and  slightly  aquiline.  In  the  lighter-coloured  dogs 
a  black  muzzle  is  preferred.  There  should  be  a  good  moustache*  of 


THE  DEERHOUND  99 

rather  silky  hair,  and  a  fair  beard.  Ears — The  ears  should  be  set  on  high, 
and,  in  repose,  folded  back  like  the  Greyhound's,  though  raised  above 
the  head  in  excitement  without  losing  the  fold,  and  even,  in  some  cases, 
semi-erect.  A  prick  ear  is  bad.  A  big,  thick  ear,  hanging  flat  to  the 
head,  or  heavily  coated  with  long  hair,  is  the  worst  of  faults.  The  ear 
should  be  soft,  glossy,  and  like  a  mouse's  coat  to  the  touch,  and  the 
smaller  it  is  the  better.  It  should  have  no  long  coat  or  long  fringe, 
but  there  is  often  a  silky,  silvery  coat  on  the  body  of  the  ear  and  the 
tip.  Whatever  the  general  colour,  the  ears  should  be  black  or  dark- 
coloured.  Neck  and  Shoulders — The  neck  should  be  long — that  is, 
of  the  length  that  befits  the  Greyhound  character  of  the  dog.  An 
over-long  neck  is  not  necessary,  nor  desirable,  for  the  dog  is  not  required 
to  stoop  in  his  work  like  a  Greyhound,  and  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  mane,  which  every  good  specimen  should  have,  detracts  from 
the  apparent  length  of  neck.  Moreover,  a  Deerhound  requires  a  very 
strong  neck  to  hold  a  stag.  The  nape  of  the  neck  should  be  very 
prominent  where  the  head  is  set  on,  and  the  throat  should  be  clean-cut 
at  the  angle  and  prominent.  The  shoulders  should  be  well  sloped, 
the  blades  well  back,  with  not  too  much  width  between  them.  Loaded 
and  straight  shoulders  are  very  bad  faults.  Stern — Stern  should  be 
tolerably  long,  tapering,  and  reaching  to  within  1$  inches  of  the  ground, 
and  about  1$  inches  below  the  hocks.  When  the  dog  is  still,  dropped 
perfectly  straight  down,  or  curved.  Wien  in  motion  it  should  be 
curved  when  excited,  in  no  case  to  be  lifted  out  of  the  line  of  the  back. 
It  should  be  well  covered  with  hair,  on  the  inside  thick  and  wiry,  under- 
side longer,  and  towards  the  end  a  slight  fringe  is  not  objectionable. 
A  curl  or  ring  tail  is  very  undesirable.  Eyes — The  eyes  should  be  dark  : 
generally  they  are  dark  brown  or  hazel.  A  very  light  eye  is  not  liked. 
The  eye  is  moderately  full  with  a  soft  look  in  repose,  but  a  keen,  far- 
away gaze  when  the  dog  is  roused.  The  rims  of  the  eyelids  should  be 
black.  Body — The  body  and  general  formation  is  that  of  a  Greyhound 
of  larger  size  and  bone.  Chest  deep  rather  than  broad,  but  not  too 
narrow  and  flat-sided.  The  loin  well  arched  and  drooping  to  the  tail. 
A  straight  back  is  not  desirable,  this  formation  being  unsuitable  for 
going  uphill,  and  very  unsightly.  Legs  and  Feet — The  legs  should  be 
broad  and  flat,  a  good  broad  forearm  and  elbow  being  desirable.  Fore- 
legs, of  course,  as  straight  as  possible.  Feet  close  and  compact,  with 
well-arched  toes.  The  hind-quarters  drooping,  and  as  broad  and 
powerful  as  possible,  the  hips  being  set  wide  apart.  The  hind-legs 
should  be  well  bent  at  the  stifle,  with  great  length  from  the  hip  to  the 
hock,  which  should  be  broad  and  flat.  Cow  hocks,  weak  pasterns, 
straight  stifles,  and  splay  feet  are  very  bad  faults.  Coat — The  hair 
on  the  body,  neck,  and  quarters  should  be  harsh  and  wiry,  and  about 
3  inches  or  4  inches  long  ;  that  on  the  head,  breast,  and  belly  is  much 
softer.  There  should  be  a  slight  hairy  fringe  on  the  inside  of  the  fore 
and  hind-legs,  but  nothing  approaching  to  the  feathering  of  a  Collie. 
The  Deerhound  should  be  a  shaggy  dog,  but  not  over  coated.  A  woolly 
coat  is  bad.  Some  good  strains  have  a  slight  mixture  of  silky  coat 
with  the  hard,  which  is  preferable  to  a  woolly  coat,  but  the  proper 
covering  is  a  thick,  close-lying,  ragged  coat,  harsh  or  crisp  to  the  touch. 
Colour — Colour  is  much  a  matter  of  fancy.  But  there  is  no  manner  of 


ioo        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

doubt  that  the  dark  blue-grey  is  the  most  preferred.  Next  come 
the  darker  and  lighter  greys  or  brindles,  the  darkest  being  generally 
preferred.  Yellow  and  sandy-red  or  red-fawn,  especially  with  black 
points — i.e.,  ears  and  muzzle — are  also  in  equal  estimation,  this  being 
the  colour  of  the  oldest  known  strains,  the  McNeil  and  the  Chesthill 
Menzles.  White  is  condemned  by  all  the  old  authorities,  but  a  white 
chest  and  white  toes,  occurring  as  they  do  in  a  great  many  of  the 
darkest-coloured  dogs,  are  not  so  greatly  objected  to,  but  the  less  the 
better,  as  the  Deerhound  is  a  self-coloured  dog.  A  white  blaze  on  the 
head  or  a  white  collar  should  entirely  disqualify.  In  other  cases, 
though  passable,  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  get  rid  of  white 
markings.  The  less  white  the  better,  but  a  slight  white  tip  to  the 
stern  occurs  in  the  best  strains.  Height  of  Dogs — From  28  inches  to 
30  inches,  or  even  more  if  there  be  symmetry  without  coarseness,  which, 
however,  is  rare.  Height  of  Bitches — From  26  inches  upwards.  There 
can  be  no  objection  to  a  bitch  being  large,  unless  she  is  too  coarse, 
as  even  at  her  greatest  height  she  does  not  approach  that  of  the  dog, 
and,  therefore,  could  not  well  be  too  big  for  work,  as  over-big  dogs  are. 
Besides,  a  big  bitch  is  good  for  breeding  and  keeping  up  the  size. 
Weight — From  85  pounds  to  105  pounds  in  dogs  ;  from  65  pounds  to 
80  pounds  in  bitches. 

Among  the  more  prominent  owners  of  Deerhounds  at  the 
present  time  are  Mrs.  H.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Grew,  Mrs. 
Janvrin  Dickson,  Miss  A.  Doxford,  Mr.  Harry  Rawson,  and 
Mr.  H.  McLauchin.  Mrs.  Armstrong  is  the  breeder  of  two 
beautiful  dog  hounds  in  Talisman  and  Laird  of  Abbotsford, 
and  of-  two  typically  good  bitches  in  Fair  Maid  of  Perth 
and  Bride  of  Lammermoor.  Mrs.  Grew  owns  many 
admirable  specimens,  among  them  being  Blair  Athol,  Ayr- 
shire, Kenil worth,  and  Ferraline.  Her  Ayrshire  is  considered 
by  some  judges  to  be  the  most  perfect  Deerhound  exhibited 
for  some  time  past.  He  is  somewhat  large,  perhaps,  but  he  is 
throughout  a  hound  of  excellent  quality  and  character,  having 
a  most  typical  head,  with  lovely  eyes  and  expression,  perfect 
front,  feet  and  hind-quarters.  Other  judges  would  give  the 
palm  to  Mr.  Harry  Rawson 's  St.  Ronan's  Ranger,  who  is 
certainly  difficult  to  excel  in  all  the  characteristics  most 
desirable  in  the  breed. 


CHAPTER    XVII 
THE    BORZOI    OR    RUSSIAN    WOLFHOUND 

OF  the  many  foreign  varieties  of  the  dog  that  have  been 
introduced  into  this  country  within  recent  years,  there  is  not 
one  among  the  larger  breeds  that  has  made  greater  headway 
in  the  public  favour  than  the  Borzoi,  or  Russian  Wolfhound. 
Nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at.  The  most  graceful  and  elegant 
of  all  breeds,  combining  symmetry  with  strength,  the  wearer 
of  a  lovely  silky  coat  that  a  toy  dog  might  envy,  the  length  of 
head,  possessed  by  no  other  breed — all  go  to  make  the  Borzoi 
the  favourite  he  has  become. 

He  is  essentially  what  our  American  cousins  would  call  a 
"  spectacular  "  dog.  Given,  for  example,  the  best  team  of 
terriers  and  a  fifth-rate  team  of  Borzois,  which  attracts  the 
more  attention  and  admiration  from  the  man  in  the  street  ? 
Which  does  he  turn  again  to  look  at  ?  Not  the  terriers  !  Add 
to  this  that  the  Borzoi  makes  a  capital  house  dog,  is,  as  a  rule, 
affectionate  and  a  good  companion,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  he  has  attained  the  dignified  position  in  the  canine  world 
which  he  now  holds. 

In  his  native  country  the  Borzoi  is  employed,  as  his  English 
name  implies,  in  hunting  the  wolf  and  also  smaller  game,  in- 
cluding foxes  and  hares. 

Several  methods  of  hunting  the  larger  game  are  adopted,  one 
form  being  as  follows.  Wolves  being  reported  to  be  present 
in  the  neighbourhood,  the  hunters  set  out  on  horseback,  each 
holding  in  his  left  hand  a  leash  of  three  Borzois,  as  nearly 
matched  as  possible  in  size,  speed,  and  colour.  Arrived  at  the 
scene  of  action,  the  chief  huntsman  stations  the  hunters  at 

101 


iQ2        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

separate  points  every  hundred  yards  or  so  round  the  wood. 
A  pack  of  hounds  is  sent  in  to  draw  the  quarry,  and  on  the 
wolves  breaking  cover  the  nearest  hunter  slips  his  dogs.  These 
endeavour  to  seize  their  prey  by  the  neck,  where  they  hold  him 
until  the  hunter  arrives,  throws  himself  from  his  horse,  and 
with  his  knife  puts  an  end  to  the  fray. 

Another  method  is  to  advance  across  the  open  country  at 
intervals  of  about  two  hundred  yards,  slipping  the  dogs  at 
any  game  they  may  put  up. 

Trials  are  also  held  in  Russia.  These  take  place  in  a  large 
railed  enclosure,  the  wolves  being  brought  in  carts  similar  to 
our  deer  carts.  In  this  case  a  brace  of  dogs  is  loosed  on  the 
wolf.  The  whole  merit  of  the  course  is  when  the  hounds  can 
overtake  the  wolf  and  pin  him  to  the  ground,  so  that  the 
keepers  can  secure  him  alive.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  in 
this  case  also  the  hounds  must  be  of  equal  speed,  so  that  they 
reach  the  wolf  simultaneously  ;  one  dog  would,  of  course,  be 
unable  to  hold  him. 

Naturally,  the  dogs  have  to  be  trained  to  the  work,  for 
which  purpose  the  best  wolves  are  taken  alive  and  sent  to  the 
kennels,  where  the  young  dogs  are  taught  to  pin  him  in  such 
a  manner  that  he  cannot  turn  and  use  his  teeth.  There  seems 
to  be  no  reason  why  the  Borzoi  should  not  be  used  for  coursing 
in  this  country. 

One  of  the  first  examples  of  the  breed  exhibited  in  England 
was  owned  by  Messrs.  Hill  and  Ashton,  of  Sheffield,  about 
1880,  at  which  time  good  specimens  were  imported  by  the 
Rev.  J.  C.  Macdona  and  Lady  Emily  Peel,  whose  Sandringham 
and  Czar  excited  general  admiration.  It  was  then  known  as 
the  Siberian  Wolfhound.  Some  years  later  the  Duchess  of 
Newcastle  obtained  several  fine  dogs,  and  from  this  stock  Her 
Grace  founded  the  kennel  which  has  since  become  so  famous. 
Later  still,  Queen  Alexandra  received  from  the  Czar  a  gift 
of  a  leash  of  these  stately  hounds,  one  of  them  being  Alex,  who 
quickly  achieved  honours  as  a  champion. 

The  breed  has  become  as  fashionable  in  the  United  States  as 


THE  BORZOI  103 

in  Great  Britain,  and  some  excellent  specimens  are  to  be  seen 
at  the  annual  shows  at  Madison  Square  Gardens. 

To  take  the  points  of  the  breed  in  detail,  the  description  of 
the  perfect  Borzoi  is  as  follows  : — 

Head— This  should  be  long,  lean,  and  well  balanced,  and  the  length, 
from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  eyes,  must  be  the  same  as  *™m  the  eyes 
to  the  occiput.     A  dog  may  have  a  long  head,  but  the  length  may  be 
an  in  front  of  the  eyes      The  heads  of  this  breed  have  greatly  improved 
the  last  few  years  ;  fewer  "  apple-headed  "  specimens,  and  more  of  the 
desired  triangular  heads  being  seen.     The  skull  should  be  flat  and 
narrow,  the  stop  not  perceptible,  the  muzzle  long^ and  tapering      Too 
much  stress  cannot  be  laid  on  the  importance  of  the  head  being  well 
filled  up  before  the  eyes.     The  head,  from  forehead  to  nose,  should  be 
so  fine  that  the  direction  of  the  bones  and  principal  veins  can  be  seen 
clearly,  and  in  profile  should  appear  rather  Roman  nosed.     Bitches 
should  be  even  narrower  in  head  than  dogs.     The  Eyes  should  be  dark 
expressive,  almond  shaped,  and  not  too  far  apart.     The  Ears  like  those 
of  a  Greyhound,  small,  thin,  and  placed  well  back  on  the  head,  with  the 
tips,  when  thrown  back,  almost  touching  behind  the  occiput      It  is 
not  a  fault  if  the  dog  can  raise  his  ears  erect  when  excited  or  looking 
after  game,  although  some  English  judges  dislike  this  frequent  char- 
acteristic.     The  head  should  be  carried  somewhat  low,  with  the  neck 
continuing  the  line  of  the  back.     Shoulders-Clean  and  sloping  well 
back,  i.e.,  the  shoulder  blades  should  almost  touch  one  another.     Chest 
—Deep  and  somewhat  narrow.     It  must  be  capacious,  but  the  capacity 
must  be  got  from  depth,  and  not  from  "  barrel "  ribs— a  bad  fault  in 
^running  hound.     Back-Rather  bony,  and  free  from  any  cavity  m  the 
spinal  column,  the  arch  in  the  back  being  more  marked  in  the  dog  than 
in  the  bitch.     Loins— Broad  and  very  powerful    showing  plenty  of 
muscular    development.     Thighs-Long    and    well    ^eloped,    wto 
good  second  thigh.     The  muscle  in  the  Borzoi  is  longer  than  in  t 
Greyhound.     Ribs— Slightly  sprung,  very  deep,  reaching  to  the  elbow. 
Fore-legs-Lean  and  straight.     Seen  from  the  front  they  should  be 
narrow  and  from  the  side  broad  at  the  shoulder  and  narrowing  graduaUy 
down  to  the  foot,  the  bone  appearing  flat  and  not  round  as  in  th 
Foxhound.     Hind-legs— The  least  thing  under  the  body  when  standing 
still,  not  straight,  and  the  stifle  slightly  bent.     They  should,  of  course 
be  straight  as  regards  each  other,  and  not  "  cow-hocked,"  but  straight 
hfnd  legfimply  I  want  of  speed.     Feet-Like  those  of  the  Deerhound, 
rather  long.     The  toes  close  together  and  well  arched      Coat-Long 
silky,  not  woolly  ;  either  flat,  wavy,  or  curly.     On  the  head  ears,  ai 
front-legs  it  should  be  short  and  smooth;  on  the  neck  the  frill  should 
be  profuse  and  rather  curly  ;  on  the  chest  and  the  rest  of  the  body,  the 
tail  and  hind-quarters,  it  should    be  long;    the  fore- egs  being  well 
feathered.     Tali-Long,  well   feathered,   and  not   gaily   earned      tt 
should  be  carried  well  down,  almost  touching  the  ground.     Height- 
Docs  from  29  inches  upwards  at  shoulder,  bitches  from  27  inches 
upwards.     (Originally  27  inches  and  26  inches.     Altered  at  a  general 
merttag  of  the  Borzoi  Club,  held  February,  1906.)     Faults— Head  short 


104        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  thick  ;  too  much  stop  ;  parti-coloured  nose  ;  eyes  too  wide  apart ; 
heavy  ears  ;  heavy  shoulders  ;  wide  chest ;  "  barrel  "  ribbed  ;  dew- 
claws  ;  elbows  turned  out ;  wide  behind.  Also  light  eyes  and  over  or 
undershot  jaws.  Colour — The  Club  standard  makes  no  mention  of 
colour.  White,  of  course,  should  predominate;  fawn,  lemon,  orange, 
brindle,  blue,  slate  and  black  markings  are  met  with.  Too  much 
of  the  latter,  or  black  and  tan  markings,  are  disliked.  Whole  coloured 
dogs  are  also  seen. 

The  foregoing  description  embodies  the  standard  of  points 
as  laid  down  and  adopted  by  the  Borzoi  Club,  interpolated 
with  some  remarks  for  the  further  guidance  of  the  novice. 

The  Borzoi  Club  was  founded  in  1892,  and  now  consists  of 
about  fifty  members,  with  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Newcastle 
as  joint-presidents.  It  does  much  good  work  for  the  breed, 
guaranteeing  classes  at  shows,  where  otherwise  few  or  none 
would  be  given,  encouraging  the  breeding  of  high-class  Borzois 
by  offering  its  valuable  challenge  cups  and  other  special  prizes, 
and  generally  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  breed. 

Although  the  Club  standard  of  height  has  been  raised  from 
27  and  26  inches  to  29  and  27  inches  for  dogs  and  bitches 
respectively,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  best  dogs  of  to- 
day far  exceed  these  measurements,  and,  unless  exceptionally 
good  in  other  points,  a  dog  of  29  inches  at  shoulder  would 
stand  little  or  no  chance  in  the  showing  under  the  majority  of 
English  judges  ;  indeed,  bitches  of  29  to  30  inches  are  by  no 
means  uncommon. 

Not  many  of  us  can  afford  to  start  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  and, 
except  for  the  favoured  few  to  whom  money  is  no  object, 
and  who  can  buy  ready-made  champions,  there  is  no  better 
way  of  starting  a  kennel  than  to  purchase  a  really  good  bitch, 
one,  say,  capable  of  winning  at  all  but  the  more  important 
shows.  She  must  be  of  good  pedigree,  strong,  and  healthy ; 
such  an  one  ought  to  be  obtained  for  £15  upwards.  Mate  her 
to  the  best  dog  whose  blood  "  nicks  "  suitably  with  hers,  but 
do  not  waste  time  and  money  breeding  from  fourth-rate  stud 
dogs,  for  if  you  do  it  is  certain  you  will  only  meet  with  disap- 
pointment. On  the  other  hand,  if  you  have  had  little  or  no 
experience  of  dogs,  you  may  possibly  prefer  to  start  with 


THE  BORZOI  105 

a  puppy.  If  so,  place  yourself  in  the  hands  of  a  breeder 
with  a  reputation  at  stake  (unless  you  have  a  friend 
who  understands  the  breed).  It  is  a  fact  that  even  a  "  cast 
off  "  from  a  good  strain  that  has  been  bred  for  certain  points 
for  years  is  more  likely  to  turn  out  a  better  dog  than  a  pup 
whose  dam  has  been  mated  "  haphazard  "  to  some  dog  who 
may  or  may  not  have  been  a  good  one.  Big  kennels  also  gener- 
ally possess  the  best  bitches  and  breed  from  them,  and  the 
bitch  is  quite  as  important  a  factor  as  the  sire.  If,  however, 
you  prefer  to  rely  on  your  own  judgment,  and  wish  to  choose 
a  puppy  yourself  from  a  litter,  select  the  one  with  the  longest 
head,  biggest  bone,  smallest  ears,  and  longest  tail,  or  as  many 
of  these  qualities  as  you  can  find  combined  in  one  individual. 
Coat  is  a  secondary  matter  in  quite  a  young  pup ;  here  one 
should  be  guided  by  the  coat  of  the  sire  and  dam.  Still,  choose 
a  pup  with  a  heavy  coat,  if  possible,  although  when  this  puppy 
coat  is  cast,  the  dog  may  not  grow  so  good  as  one  as  some  of 
the  litter  who  in  early  life  were  smoother. 

As  regards  size,  a  Borzoi  pup  of  three  months  should 
measure  about  19  inches  at  the  shoulder,  at  six  months  about 
25  inches,  and  at  nine  months  from  27  to  29  inches.  After  ten 
or  twelve  months,  growth  is  very  slow,  although  some  con- 
tinue adding  to  their  height  until  they  are  a  year  and  a  half 
old.  They  will,  of  course,  increase  in  girth  of  chest  and 
develop  muscle  until  two  years  old ;  a  Borzoi  may  be  con- 
sidered in  its  prime  at  from  three  to  four  years  of  age.  As 
regards  price,  from  £5  to  £10  is  not  too  much  to  pay  for  a  really 
good  pup  of  about  eight  to  ten  weeks  old  ;  if  you  pay  less  you 
will  probably  get  only  a  second-rate  one.  Having  purchased 
your  puppy,  there  are  three  principal  items  to  be  considered 
if  you  intend  to  rear  him  well ;  firstly,  his  diet  must  be  varied  ; 
secondly,  the  pup  must  have  unlimited  exercise,  and  never  be 
kept  on  the  chain  ;  thirdly,  internal  parasites  must  be  kept 
in  check.  For  young  puppies  "  Ruby  "  Worm  Cure  is  most 
efficacious,  and  does  not  distress  the  patient. 

Food  should  be  given  at  regular  intervals — not  less  fre- 


106        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

quently  than  five  times  a  day  to  newly  weaned  puppies — and 
may  consist  of  porridge,  bread  and  milk,  raw  meat  minced 
fine,  and  any  table  scraps,  with  plenty  of  new  milk.  Well- 
boiled  paunch  is  also  greatly  appreciated,  and,  being  easily 
digested,  may  be  given  freely. 

One  important  part  of  the  puppy's  education  that  must  by 
no  means  be  neglected  is  to  accustom  him  to  go  on  the  collar 
and  lead.  Borzoi  pups  are,  as  a  rule  extremely  nervous,  and 
it  requires  great  patience  in  some  cases  to  train  them  to  the 
lead.  Short  lessons  should  be  given  when  about  four  months 
old.  If  you  can  induce  the  puppy  to  think  it  is  a  new  game, 
well  and  good — he  will  take  to  it  naturally  ;  but  once  he  looks 
upon  it  as  something  to  be  dreaded,  it  means  hours  of  patient 
work  to  break  him  in. 

If  you  decide  on  commencing  with  a  brood  bitch,  see  that 
she  is  dosed  for  worms  before  visiting  the  dog  ;  that  she  is  in 
good  hard  condition — not  fat,  however ;  and,  if  possible, 
accompany  her  yourself  and  see  her  mated.  For  the  first  week 
rather  less  than  her  usual  quantity  of  food  should  be  given  ; 
afterwards  feed  as  her  appetite  dictates,  but  do  not  let  her  get 
too  fat,  or  she  may  have  a  bad  time  when  whelping.  For  two 
days  before  the  puppies  are  due  give  sloppy  but  nourishing 
diet,  and  this  should  be  continued,  given  slightly  warm,  for 
four  or  five  days  after  the  pups  are  born.  Borzois  as  a  rule 
make  excellent  mothers,  but  to  rear  them  well  they  should  not 
be  allowed  to  suckle  more  than  five — or,  if  a  strong,  big  bitch, 
six — pups.  If  the  litter  is  larger,  it  is  better  to  destroy  the 
remainder,  or  use  a  foster  mother. 

Whatever  they  may  be  in  their  native  land — and  the  first 
imported  specimens  were  perhaps  rather  uncertain  in  temper — 
the  Borzoi,  as  we  know  him  in  this  country,  is  affectionate, 
devoted  to  his  owner,  friendly  with  his  kennel  companions 
and  makes  a  capital  house  dog.  As  a  lady's  companion  he  is 
hard  to  beat ;  indeed,  a  glance  at  any  show  catalogue  will 
prove  that  the  majority  of  Borzois  are  owned  by  the  gentle  sex. 
No  one  need  be  deterred  from  keeping  a  Borzoi  by  a  remark 


THE  BORZOI  107 

the  writer  has  heard  hundreds  of  times  at  shows :  "  Those 
dogs  are  so  delicate."  This  is  not  the  case.  Once  over 
distemper  troubles — and  the  breed  certainly  does  suffer  badly 
if  it  contracts  the  disease — the  Borzoi  is  as  hardy  as  most 
breeds,  if  not  hardier.  Given  a  good  dry  kennel  and  plenty  of 
straw,  no  weather  is  too  cold  for  them.  Damp,  of  course, 
must  be  avoided,  but  this  applies  equally  to  other  breeds. 

The  adult  hound,  like  the  puppy,  should  never  be  kept  on 
chain  ;  a  kennel  with  a  railed-in  run  should  be  provided,  or  a 
loose  box  makes  a  capital  place  for  those  kept  out  of  doors, 
otherwise  no  different  treatment  is  required  from  that  of  other 
large  breeds. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE    GREYHOUND 

THE  Greyhound  is  the  oldest  and  most  conservative  of  all 
dogs,  and  his  type  has  altered  singularly  little  during  the 
seven  thousand  years  in  which  he  is  known  to  have  been 
cherished  for  his  speed,  and  kept  by  men  for  running  down  the 
gazelle  or  coursing  the  hare.  The  earliest  references  to  him 
are  far  back  in  the  primitive  ages,  long  before  he  was  beauti- 
fully depicted  by  Assyrian  artists,  straining  at  the  leash  or 
racing  after  his  prey  across  the  desert  sands.  The  Egyptians 
loved  him  and  appreciated  him  centuries  before  the  pyramids 
were  built.  In  those  days  he  wore  a  feathered  tail,  and  his  ears 
were  heavy  with  a  silken  fringe  of  hair.  His  type  was  that  of 
the  modern  Arabian  Slughi,  who  is  the  direct  and  unaltered 
descendant  of  the  ancient  hound.  The  glorious  King  Solomon 
referred  to  him  (Proverbs  xxx.  31)  as  being  one  of  the  four 
things  which  "  go  well  and  are  comely  in  going — a  lion,  which 
is  strongest  among  beasts,  and  turneth  not  away  from  any  ; 
a  Greyhound  ;  an  he  goat  also  ;  and  a  king  against  whom  there 
is  no  rising  up." 

That  the  Greyhound  is  "  comely  in  going,"  as  well  as  in 
repose,  was  recognised  very  early  by  the  Greeks,  whose  artists 
were  fond  of  introducing  this  graceful  animal  as  an  ornament 
in  their  decorative  workmanship.  In  their  metal  work,  their 
carvings  in  ivory  and  stone,  and  more  particularly  as  parts 
in  the  designs  on  their  terra-cot ta  oil  bottles,  wine  coolers, 
and  other  vases,  the  Greyhound  is  frequently  to  be  seen,  some- 
times following  the  hare,  and  always  in  remarkably  character- 
istic attitudes.  Usually  these  Greek  Greyhounds  are  repre- 

108 


THE  GREYHOUND  109 

sented  with  prick  ears,  but  occasionally  the  true  rose  ear  is 
shown. 

All  writings  in  connection  with  Greyhounds  point  to  the 
high  estimation  in  which  the  dog  has  always  been  held.  Dr. 
Caius,  when  referring  to  the  name,  says  "  The  Greyhound  hath 
his  name  of  this  word  gre  ;  which  word  soundeth  gradus  in 
Latin,  in  Englishe  degree,  because  among  all  dogges  these  are 
the  most  principall,  occupying  the  chiefest  place,  and  being 
simply  and  absolutely  the  best  of  the  gentle  kinde  of  Houndes." 

It  was  not  until  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  that  coursing 
in  England  was  conducted  under  established  rules.  These 
were  drawn  up  by  the  then  Duke  of  Norfolk.  The  sport 
quickly  grew  in  favour,  and  continued  to  increase  in  popu- 
larity until  the  first  coursing  club  was  established  at  Swaffham 
in  1776.  Then  in  1780  the  Ashdown  Park  Meeting  came  into 
existence.  The  Newmarket  Meeting  in  1805  was  the  next 
fixture  that  was  inaugurated,  and  this  now  remains  with  the 
champion  stakes  as  its  most  important  event.  Afterwards 
came  the  Amesbury  Meeting  in  1822,  but  Amesbury,  like 
Ashdown,  although  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
institutions  of  the  description,  has  fallen  from  its  high  estate. 
Three  years  later  came  the  Altcar  Club.  But  it  was  not  until 
eleven  years  after  this  period  that  the  Waterloo  Cup  was  in- 
stituted (in  1836),  to  win  which  is  the  highest  ambition  of 
followers  of  the  leash. 

At  the  present  time  the  run  for  the  Waterloo  Cup,  which  at 
the  commencement  was  an  eight  dog  stake,  is  composed  of 
sixty-four  nominations,  the  entry  fee  for  which  is  £25.  The 
winner  takes  £500,  and  the  cup,  value  £100,  presented  by  the 
Earl  of  Sefton,  the  runner  up  £200,  the  third  and  fourth  £50 
each,  four  dogs  £36  each,  eight  dogs  £20  each,  and  sixteen  dogs 
£10  each.  The  thirty-two  dogs  beaten  in  the  first  round  of 
the  Cup  compete  for  the  Waterloo  Purse,  value  £215,  and  the 
sixteen  dogs  run  out  in  the  second  round  for  the  Waterloo 
Plate,  value  £145.  The  winner  in  each  case  taking  £75,  and 
the  runner  up  £30,  the  remainder  being  divided  amongst  the 


no        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

most  forward  runners  in  the  respective  stakes.  The  Waterloo 
Cup  holds  the  same  position  in  coursing  circles  as  the  Derby 
does  in  horse  racing. 

The  National  Coursing  Club  was  established  in  1858,  when 
a  stud  book  was  commenced,  and  a  code  of  laws  drawn  up  for 
the  regulation  of  coursing  meetings.  This  is  recognised  in 
Australia  and  other  parts  of  the  world  where  coursing  meetings 
are  held.  The  Stud  Book,  of  which  Mr.  W.  F.  Lamonby  is 
the  keeper,  contains  particulars  of  all  the  best-known  Grey- 
hounds in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  a  dog  is  not  allowed  to 
compete  at  any  of  the  large  meetings  held  under  Coursing  Club 
rules  unless  it  has  been  duly  entered  with  its  pedigree  com- 
plete. In  fact,  the  National  Coursing  Club  is  more  particular 
in  connection  with  the  pedigrees  of  Greyhounds  being  correctly 
given,  than  the  Kennel  Club  is  about  dogs  that  are  exhibited  ; 
and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal.  It  holds  the  same  position 
in  coursing  matters  as  the  Jockey  Club  does  in  racing.  It  is 
in  fact,  the  supreme  authority  on  all  matters  connected  with 
coursing. 

Various  opinions  have  been  advanced  as  to  the  best  size 
and  weight  for  a  Greyhound.  Like  horses,  Greyhounds 
run  in  all  forms,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  a  really  good  big 
one  will  always  have  an  advantage  over  the  little  ones ;  but 
it  is  so  difficult  to  find  the  former,  and  most  of  the  chief 
winners  of  the  Waterloo  Cup  have  been  comparatively  small. 
Coomassie  was  the  smallest  Greyhound  that  ever  won  the  blue 
ribbon  of  the  leash  ;  she  drew  the  scale  at  42  Ibs.,  and  was 
credited  with  the  win  of  the  Cup  on  two  occasions.  Bab  at 
the  Bowster,  who  is  considered  by  many  good  judges  to  have 
been  the  best  bitch  that  ever  ran,  was  2  Ibs.  more ;  she 
won  the  Cup  once,  and  many  other  stakes,  as  she  was  run  all 
over  the  country  and  was  not  kept  for  the  big  event.  Master 
McGrath  was  a  small  dog,  and  only  weighed  53  Ibs.,  but  he 
won  the  Waterloo  Cup  three  times.  Fullerton,  who  was  a 
much  bigger  dog,  and  was  four  times  declared  the  winner  of 
the  Cup,  was  56  Ibs.  in  weight. 


THE  GREYHOUND  in 

There  are  very  few  Greyhounds  that  have  won  the  Waterloo 
Cup  more  than  once,  but  Cerito  was  credited  with  it  three 
times,  namely,  in  1850,  1852,  and  1853,  when  it  was  a  thirty- 
two  dog  stake.  Canaradzo,  Bit  of  Fashion,  Miss  Glendine, 
Herschel,  Thoughtless  Beauty,  and  Fabulous  Fortune,  are 
probably  some  of  the  best  Greyhounds  that  ever  ran  besides 
those  already  alluded  to.  Bit  of  Fashion  was  the  dam  of 
Fullerton,  who  shares  with  Master  McGrath  the  reputation 
of  being  the  two  best  Greyhounds  that  ever  ran.  But  Master 
McGrath  came  first.  During  his  remarkable  career  in  public 
he  won  thirty-six  courses  out  of  thirty-seven,  the  only  time 
that  he  was  defeated  being  the  1870  at  his  third  attempt  to 
win  the  Waterloo  Cup,  and  the  flag  went  up  in  favour  of  Mr. 
Trevor's  Lady  Lyons.  He,  however,  retrieved  his  good 
fortune  the  following  year,  when  he  again  ran  through  the 
stake. 

Fullerton,  who,  when  he  won  all  his  honours,  was  the  pro- 
perty of  Colonel  North,  was  bred  by  Mr.  James  Dent  in  North- 
umberland. Colonel  North  gave  850  guineas  for  him,  which 
was  then  stated  to  be  the  highest  price  ever  paid  for  a  Grey- 
hound. He  ran  five  times  altogether  for  the  Waterloo  Cup, 
and  was  declared  the  winner  on  four  occasions.  The  first 
time  was  in  1889,  when  he  divided  with  his  kennel  companion 
Troughend.  Then  he  won  the  Cup  outright  the  three  follow- 
ing years.  In  1893,  however,  after  having  been  put  to  the 
stud,  at  which  he  proved  a  failure,  he  was  again  trained  for 
the  Cup,  but  age  had  begun  to  tell  its  tale,  and  after  winning 
one  course  he  was  beaten  by  Mr.  Keating's  Full  Captain,  in 
the  second.  This  was  one  of  the  two  occasions  upon  which 
out  of  thirty-three  courses  he  failed  to  raise  the  flag.  On  the 
other  he  was  beaten  by  Mr.  Gladstone's  Greengage,  when 
running  the  deciding  course  at  Haydock  Park. 

It  appears  like  descending  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridicu- 
lous to  mention  the  Greyhound  as  a  show  dog,  after  the  many 
brilliant  performances  that  have  been  recorded  of  him  in  the 
leash,  but  there  are  many  dogs  elegant  in  outline  with  fine 


ii2        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

muscular  development  that  are  to  be  seen  in  the  judging  ring. 
Mr.  George  Raper's  Roasting  Hot  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
winners  of  the  day  ;  he  is  a  fawn  and  white,  as  handsome  as  a 
peacock  and,  moreover,  is  a  good  dog  in  the  field.  On  one 
occasion  after  competing  successfully  at  the  Kennel  Club 
Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  he  was  taken  to  a  coursing  meeting 
where  he  won  the  stake  in  which  he  was  entered.  A  brace  of 
very  beautiful  bitches  are  Mr.  F.  Eyer's  Dorset  Girl  and  Miss 
W.  Easton's  Okeford  Queen. 

Although,  as  a  rule,  the  most  consistent  winners  in  the  leash 
have  not  been  noted  for  their  good  looks,  there  have  been  ex- 
ceptions in  which  the  opposite  has  been  the  case.  Fullerton 
was  a  good-looking  dog,  if  not  quite  up  to  the  form  required  in 
the  show  ring.  Mr.  Harding  Cox  has  had  several  specimens 
that  could  run  well  and  win  prizes  as  show  dogs,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  Miss  Maud  May's  fine  kennel  of  Grey- 
hounds in  the  North  of  England.  In  the  South  of  England 
Mrs.  A.  Dewe*  keeps  a  number  of  longtails  that  when  not 
winning  prizes  at  the  Crystal  Palace  and  elsewhere  are  running 
at  Plumpton  and  other  meetings  in  Sussex. 

The  following  is  the  standard  by  which  Greyhounds  should 
be  judged. 

Head — Long  and  narrow,  slightly  wider  in  skull,  allowing  for  plenty 
of  brain  room  ;  lips  tight,  without  any  flew,  and  eyes  bright  and  in- 
telligent and  dark  in  colour.  Ears — Small  and  fine  in  texture,  and  semi- 
pricked.  Teeth — Very  strong  and  level,  and  not  decayed  or  cankered. 
Neck — Lengthy,  without  any  throatiness,  but  muscular.  Shoulders — 
Placed  well  back  in  the  body,  and  fairly  muscular,  without  being  loaded. 
Fore-legs — Perfectly  straight,  set  well  into  the  shoulders,  with  strong 
pasterns  and  toes  set  well  up  and  close  together.  Body — Chest  very 
deep,  with  fairly  well-sprung  ribs  ;  muscular  back  and  loins,  and  well 
cut  up  in  the  flanks.  Hind-quarters — Wide  and  well  let  down,  with 
hocks  well  bent  and  close  to  the  ground,  with  very  muscular  haunches, 
showing  great  propelling  power,  and  tail  long  and  fine  and  tapering  with 
a  slight  upward  curve.  Coat — Fairly  fine  in  texture.  Weight — The 
ideal  weight  of  a  dog  is  from  60  pounds  to  65  pounds,  of  a  bitch  from  55 
pounds  to  60  pounds. 


CHAPTER    XIX 
THE   WHIPPET 

FOR  elegance  of  style,  cleanliness  of  habit,  and  graceful 
movement,  few  dogs  can  equal  the  Whippet,  for  which  reason 
his  popularity  as  a  companion  has  increased  very  greatly 
within  the  past  decade.  No  more  affectionate  creature  is  to  be 
found,  yet  he  possesses  considerable  determination  and 
pluck,  and  on  occasion  will  defend  himself  in  his  own  way. 

Too  fragile  in  his  anatomy  for  fighting,  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  word,  when  molested,  he  will  "  snap  "  at  his  opponent 
with  such  celerity  as  to  take  even  the  most  watchful  by 
surprise  ;  while  his  strength  of  jaw,  combined  with  its  com- 
paratively great  length,  enables  him  to  inflict  severe  punish- 
ment at  the  first  grab.  It  was  probably  owing  to  this  habit, 
which  is  common  to  all  Whippets,  that  they  were  orginally 
known  as  Snap-Dogs. 

The  Whippet  existed  as  a  separate  breed  long  before  dog 
shows  were  thought  of,  and  at  a  time  when  records  of  pedigrees 
were  not  officially  preserved  ;  but  it  is  very  certain  that  the 
Greyhound  had  a  share  in  his  genealogical  history,  for  not 
only  should  his  appearance  be  precisely  that  of  a  Greyhound 
in  miniature,  but  the  purpose  for  which  he  was  bred  is  very 
similar  to  that  for  which  his  larger  prototype  is  still  used,  the 
only  difference  being  that  rabbits  were  coursed  by  Whippets, 
and  hares  by  Greyhounds. 

This  sport  has  been  mainly  confined  to  the  working  classes, 
the  colliers  of  Lancashire,  Yorkshire,  Durham,  and  North- 
umberland being  particularly  devoted  to  it.  As  a  rule  the 
contests  are  handicaps,  the  starting  point  of  each  competitor 
i  113 


ii4        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

being  regulated  by  its  weight ;  but  the  winners  of  previous 
important  events  are  penalised  in  addition,  according  to  their 
presumed  merit,  by  having  a  certain  number  of  yards  deducted 
from  the  start  to  which  weight  alone  would  otherwise  have 
entitled  them.  Each  dog  is  taken  to  its  stipulated  mark 
according  to  the  handicap,  and  there  laid  hold  of  by  the  nape 
of  the  neck  and  hind-quarters  ;  the  real  starter  stands  behind 
the  lot,  and  after  warning  all  to  be  ready,  discharges  a  pistol, 
upon  which  each  attendant  swings  his  dog  as  far  forward  as 
he  can  possibly  throw  him,  but  always  making  sure  that  he 
alights  on  his  feet.  The  distance  covered  in  the  race  is 
generally  200  yards,  minus  the  starts  allotted,  and  some  idea 
of  the  speed  at  which  these  very  active  little  animals  can 
travel  may  be  gleaned  from  the  fact  that  the  full  distance  has 
been  covered  in  rather  under  12  seconds. 

In  order  to  induce  each  dog  to  do  its  best,  the  owner,  or 
more  probably  the  trainer  stands  beyond  the  winning  post, 
and  frantically  waves  a  towel  or  very  stout  rag.  Accompanied 
by  a  babel  of  noise,  the  race  is  started,  and  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  write  it  the  competitors  reach  the  goal,  one  and  all 
as  they  finish  taking  a  flying  leap  at  their  trainer's  towel,  to 
which  they  hold  on  with  such  tenacity  that  they  are  swung 
round  in  the  air.  The  speed  at  which  they  are  travelling  makes 
this  movement  necessary  in  many  cases  to  enable  the  dog  to 
avoid  accident,  particularly  where  the  space  beyond  the 
winning  mark  is  limited.  For  racing  purposes  there  is  a  wide 
margin  of  size  allowed  to  the  dogs,  anything  from  8  Ibs.  to 
23  Ibs.,  or  even  more,  being  eligible  ;  but  in  view  of  the  handi- 
cap terms  those  dogs  which  possess  speed,  and  scale  9  to  12  Ibs. 
amongst  the  light-weights,  and  over  17  Ibs.  in  the  heavy 
ones,  are  considered  to  have  the  best  chance. 

Probably  there  is  no  locality  where  the  pastime  has  main- 
tained such  a  firm  hold  as  in  and  around  Oldham,  one  of  the 
most  famous  tracks  in  the  world  being  at  Higginshaw,  where 
not  infrequently  three  hundred  dogs  are  entered  in  one  handi- 
cap. The  Borough  grounds  at  Oldham  and  the  Wellington 


THE  WHIPPET  115 

grounds  at  Bury  are  also  noted  centres  for  races.  It  is  a 
remarkable  but  well  recognised  fact  that  bitches  are  faster  than 
dogs,  and  in  consequence  the  terms  upon  which  they  are 
handicapped  are  varied.  The  general  custom  is  to  allow  a 
dog  2\  to  3  yards  advantage  for  every  pound  difference 
in  weight  between  it  and  the  gentle  sex. 

One  of  the  fastest  dogs  that  ever  ran  was  Collier  Lad, 
but  he  was  almost  a  Greyhound  as  regards  size.  Whitefoot, 
whose  owner  challenged  the  world,  and  was  considered  to  be 
quite  unbeatable,  was  a  Whippet  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
and  was  a  nice  medium  weight,  though  probably  Capplebank's 
time  of  ii \  seconds  stands  alone.  The  best  of  the  present-day 
racing  dogs  are  Polly  fro'  Astley  (15  Ibs.)  and  Dinah  (nj  Ibs), 
and  of  those  which  promise  well  for  the  future,  Eva,  whose 
weight  is  only  g|  Ibs.,  is  most  prominent. 

The  training  of  Whippets  is  by  no  means  easy  work,  and  is 
more  expensive  than  most  people  imagine.  The  very  choicest 
food  is  deemed  absolutely  necessary,  in  fact  a  Whippet 
undergoing  preparation  for  an  important  race  is  provided 
with  the  most  wholesome  fare.  Choice  mutton-chops,  beef- 
steaks and  similar  dainties  comprise  their  daily  portion.  Of 
course  exercise  is  a  necessity,  but  it  is  not  considered  good 
policy  to  allow  a  dog  in  training  to  gambol  about  either  on  the 
roads  or  in  the  fields.  Indeed,  all  dogs  which  are  undergoing 
preparation  for  a  race  are  practically  deprived  of  their  free- 
dom, in  lieu  of  which  they  are  walked  along  hard  roads 
secured  by  a  lead  ;  and  for  fear  of  their  picking  up  the  least 
bit  of  refuse  each  is  securely  muzzled  by  a  box-like  leather 
arrangement  which  completely  envelops  the  jaws,  but  which  is 
freely  perforated  to  permit  proper  breathing.  Any  distance 
between  six  and  a  dozen  miles  a  day,  according  to  the  stamina 
and  condition  of  the  dog,  is  supposed  to  be  the  proper  amount 
of  exercise,  and  scales  are  brought  into  use  every  few  days  to 
gauge  the  effect  which  is  being  produced.  In  addition 
to  this  private  trials  are  necessary  in  the  presence  of  someone 
who  is  accustomed  to  timing  races  by  the  aid  of  a  stop-watch — 


n6        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

a  by  no  means  easy  task,  considering  that  a  slight  particle  of  a 
second  means  so  many  yards,  and  the  average  speed  working 
out  at  about  16  yards  per  second — nearly  twice  as  fast  as  the 
fastest  pedestrian  sprinter,  and  altogether  beyond  the  power 
of  the  fleetest  race-horse. 

Colour  in  the  Whippet  is  absolutely  of  no  importance  to  a 
good  judge,  though  possibly  what  is  known  as  the  peach  fawn 
is  the  favourite  among  amateur  fanciers.  ,  Red  fawns,  blue  or 
slate  coloured,  black,  brindled  of  various  shades,  and  these 
colours  intermingled  with  white,  are  most  to  be  met  with, 
however.  In  some  quarters  the  idea  is  prevalent  that  Whip- 
pets are  delicate  in  their  constitution,  but  this  is  a  popular 
error.  Probably  their  disinclination  to  go  out  of  doors  on 
their  own  initiative  when  the  weather  is  cold  and  wet  may 
account  for  the  opinion,  but  given  the  opportunity  to  roam 
about  a  house  the  Whippet  will  find  a  comfortable  place,  and 
will  rarely  ail  anything.  In  scores  of  houses  Whippets  go  to 
bed  with  the  children,  and  are  so  clean  that  even  scrupulous 
housewives  take  no  objection  to  their  finding  their  way  under 
the  clothes  to  the  foot  of  the  bed,  thereby  securing  their  own 
protection  and  serving  as  an  excellent  footwarmer  in  the 
winter  months. 

Probably  in  no  other  breed,  except  the  Greyhound,  do 
judges  attach  so  little  importance  to  the  shape  of  the  head  ; 
so  long  as  the  jaws  are  fairly  long  and  the  colour  of  the  eyes 
somewhat  in  keeping  with  that  of  the  body,  very  little  else 
is  looked  for  in  front  of  the  ears.  As  in  the  case  of  racing 
competitors,  really  good  dogs  for  show  purposes  are  much 
more  difficult  to  find  than  bitches.  The  best  of  the  males  are 
not  so  classical  in  outline  as  the  females,  though  some  of  them 
are  as  good  in  legs  and  feet — points  which  are  of  the  greatest 
importance.  Though  it  is  not  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
standard  laid  down  by  the  club,  it  will  be  found  that  most 
judges  favour  dogs  which  are  about  17  Ibs.  weight,  and  bitches 
which  are  between  15  Ibs.  and  16  Ibs.,  the  20  Ibs.  mentioned 
in  the  standard  of  points,  without  variation  for  sex  being 


THE  WHIPPET  117 

considered  altogether  too  heavy.  Appearances  are  sometimes 
deceptive,  but  these  dogs  are  rarely  weighed  for  exhibition 
purposes,  the  trained  eye  of  the  judge  being  sufficient  guide 
to  the  size  of  the  competitors  according  to  his  partiality  for 
middle-size,  big,  or  little  animals. 

The  South  Durham  and  Yorkshire  Show  at  Darlington  has 
the  credit  for  first  introducing  classes  for  Whippets  into  the 
prize  ring.  Previous  to  this  it  had  not  long  been  generally 
recognised  as  a  distinct  breed,  and  it  is  within  the  last  twenty 
years  that  the  Kennel  Club  has  placed  the  breed  on  its 
recognised  list. 

The  following  is  the  standard  of  points  adopted  by  the 
Whippet  Club  :— 

Head — Long  and  lean,  rather  wide  between  the  eyes  and  flat  on  the 
top  ;  the  jaw  powerful  yet  cleanly  cut ;  the  teeth  level  and  white. 
Eyes — Bright  and  fiery.  Ears — Small,  fine  in  texture  and  rose  shape. 
Neck — Long  and  muscular,  elegantly  arched  and  free  from  throatiness. 
Shoulders — Oblique  and  muscular.  Chest — Deep  and  capacious. 
Back — Broad  and  square,  rather  long  and  slightly  arched  over  the  loin, 
which  should  be  strong  and  powerful.  Fore-legs — Rather  long,  well 
set  under  the  dog,  possessing  a  fair  amount  of  bone.  Hind-quarters — 
Strong  and  broad  across  stifles,  well  bent  thighs,  broad  and  muscular ; 
hocks  well  let  down.  Feet — Round,  well  split  up,  with  strong  soles. 
Coat — Fine  and  close.  Colour — Black,  red,  white,  brindle,  fawn,  blue, 
and  the  various  mixtures  of  each.  Weight — Twenty  pounds. 


CHAPTER    XX 
THE    FOXHOUND 

THERE  is  plenty  of  proof  that  Foxhounds  were  the  very  first 
of  the  canine  races  in  Great  Britain  to  come  under  the  domina- 
tion of  scientific  breeding.  There  had  been  hounds  of  more 
ancient  origin,  such  as  the  Southern  Hound  and  the  Blood- 
hound ;  but  something  different  was  wanted  towards  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century  to  hunt  the  wild  deer  that  had 
become  somewhat  scattered  after  Cromwell's  civil  war.  The 
demand  was  consequently  for  a  quicker  hound  than  those 
hitherto  known,  and  people  devoted  to  the  chase  began  to 
breed  it.  Whether  there  were  crosses  at  first  remains  in  dis- 
pute, but  there  is  more  probability  that  the  policy  adopted 
was  one  of  selection  ;  those  exceptionally  fast  were  bred  with 
the  same,  until  the  slow,  steady  line  hunter  was  improved  out 
of  his  very  character  and  shape.  At  any  rate,  there  are 
proofs  that  in  1710  hounds  were  to  be  found  in  packs,  carefully 
bred,  and  that  at  that  time  some  of  the  hunts  in  question 
devoted  attention  to  the  fox. 

The  first  known  kennel  of  all  was  at  Wardour  Castle,  and 
was  said  to  have  been  established  in  1696  ;  but  more  reliable 
is  the  date  of  the  Brocklesby,  commenced  in  1713.  The  first 
record  of  a  pack  of  hounds  being  sold  was  in  1730,  when  a 
Mr.  Fownes  sold  his  pack  to  a  Mr.  Bowles.  The  latter  gentle- 
man showed  great  sport  with  them  in  Yorkshire.  At  that 
time  Lord  Hertford  began  to  hunt  the  Cotswold  country,  in 
Gloucestershire,  and  was  the  first  to  draw  coverts  for  fox  in  the 
modern  style.  Very  soon  after  this  it  became  the  fashion 
of  the  day  to  breed  hounds.  Many  of  the  nobility  and  large 

118 


THE  FOXHOUND  119 

landowners  devoted  much  of  their  time  and  money  to  it,  and 
would  take  long  journeys  to  get  fresh  blood.     It  was  the  rule 
to  breed  hounds  on  the  most  scientific  principles,  and  by  1750 
there  were  fifty  such  breeders,  including  the  fifth  Duke  of 
Beaufort,  Lord  Lincoln,  Lord  Stamford,  Lord  Percival,  Lord 
Granby,  Lord  Ludlow,  Lord  Vernon,  Lord  Carlisle,  Lord  Mex- 
bro,  Sir  Walter  Vavasour,  Sir  Roland  Winns,  Mr.  Noel,  Mr. 
Stanhope,  Mr.  Meynell,  Mr.  Barry,  and  Mr.  Charles  Pelham.  The 
last-named  gentleman,  afterward  the  first  Lord  Yarborough, 
was  perhaps  the  most  indefatigable  of  all,  as  he  was  the  first 
to  start  the  system  of  walking  puppies  amongst  his  tenantry, 
on  the  Brocklesby  estates,  and  of  keeping  lists  of  hound  pedi- 
grees and  ages.     By  1760  all  the  above-named  noblemen 
and  gentlemen  had  been  breeding  from  each  other's  kennels. 
The  hounds  were  registered,  as  can  be  seen  now  in  Lord  Middle- 
ton's  private  kennel  stud  book,  through  which  his  lordship 
can  trace  the  pedigrees  of  his  present  pack  for  a  hundred  and 
sixty  years  to  hounds  that  were  entered  in  1760,  got  by  Ray  tor, 
son  of  Merryman  and  grandson  of  Lord  Granby's  Ranter. 
Another  pedigree  was  that  of  Ruby,  who  is  credited  with  a 
numerous  progeny,  as  she  was  by  Raytor  out  of  Mr.  Stapleton's 
Cruel  by  Sailor,  a  son  of  Lord  Granby's  Sailor  by  Mr.  Noel's 
Victor.     This  shows  well  how  seriously  Foxhound  breeding 
was  gone  into  before  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Portraits  prove  also  that  a  hound  approaching  very  closely 
to  those  of  modern  times  had  been  produced  at  this  early 
period.     By  such  evidence  the  Foxhound  had  outstripped  the 
Harrier  in  size  by  nearly  five  inches,  as  the  latter  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  more  than  eighteen  inches,  and  the  early 
Foxhound  would  have  been  twenty- three  inches.     Then  the 
heavy  shoulder,  the  dewlap,  and  jowl  of  the  Southern  Hound 
had  been  got  rid  of,  and  the  coat  had  been  somewhat  altered 
The  old  school  of  breeders  had  evidently  determined  upon 
great  speed  and  the  ability  to  stay,  through  the  medium  of  deep 
ribs,  heart  room,  wide  loins,  length  of  quarter,  quality  of  bone, 
straightness  of  fore-leg,  and  round  strong  feet ;  the  slack  loined, 


120        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

loosely  built,  and  splayfooted  hound  of  former  generations 
had  been  left  behind.  To  such  perfection,  indeed,  had  the 
Foxhound  attained,  that  long  before  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  sportsmen  were  clamouring  as  to  what  a  Foxhound 
could  do. 

With  so  much  prominence  given  to  the  Foxhound  in  the 
comparatively  short  period  of  forty  or  fifty  years,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  individual  hounds  became  very  celebrated  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  country.  Mr.  Pelham's  Rockwood 
Tickler  and  Bumper  were  names  well  known  in  Yorkshire,  and 
Lord  Ludlow's  Powerful  and  Growler  were  talked  of  both  in 
Lincolnshire  and  Warwickshire.  From  the  first,  indeed,  it 
appeared  that  certain  hounds  were  very  much  better  than 
others,  and  old  huntsmen  have  generally  declared  for  one 
which  was  in  the  whole  length  of  their  careers  (sometimes 
extending  to  fifty  years)  immeasurably  superior  to  all  others 
they  had  hunted.  Harry  Ayris,  who  was  for  just  half  a 
century  with  Lord  FitzHardinge,  declared  to  the  day  of  his 
death  that  nothing  had  equalled  Cromwell ;  Osbaldeston  said 
the  same  of  Furrier,  and  Frank  Gillard  never  falters  from  the 
opinion  that  Weathergage  was  quite  by  himself  as  the  best 
hound  he  ever  hunted.  The  Foxhound  Kennel  Stud  Book 
abounds  in  the  strongest  proofs  that  hereditary  merit  in  their 
work  has  been  transmitted  from  these  wonderful  hounds, 
and  they  really  make  the  history  of  the  Foxhound. 

There  have  been  many  great  hounds ;  but  there  must  be 
the  greatest  of  the  great,  and  the  following  twelve 
hounds  are  probably  the  best  England  has  ever  seen  : — 
Mr.  Corbet's  Trojan  (1780),  Lord  Middle  ton's  Vanguard 
(1815),  Mr.Osbaldeston's  Furrier  (1820),  Lord  Henry  Bentinck's 
Contest  (1848),  Lord  FitzHardinge's  Cromwell  (1855),  Mr. 
Drake's  Duster  (1844),  Sir  Richard  Sutton's  Dryden  (1849), 
the  Duke  of  Rutland's  Senator  (1862),  Duke  of  Rutland's 
Weathergage  (1874),  the  Earl  of  Coventry's  Rambler  (1874), 
Mr.  E.  P.  Rawnsley's  Freeman  (1884),  and  the  Graf  ton 
Woodman  (1892). 


THE  FOXHOUND  121 

Breeding  Foxhounds  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  of  all  the 
pleasures  of  animal  culture,  as  the  above  list,  so  full  of  extreme 
merit,  can  be  traced  for  nearly  a  hundred  and  thirty  years. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  prices  paid  for  Foxhounds  in  very 
recent  times  have  greatly  exceeded  those  of  the  past.  In  1790 
Colonel  Thornton  sold  Merkin  for  four  hogsheads  of  claret,  and 
the  seller  to  have  two  couples  of  the  whelps.  Then  in  1808  Mr. 
John  Warde  sold  a  pack  of  hounds  to  Lord  Althorpe  for  1,000 
guineas,  and  the  same  gentleman  sold  another  pack  for  the 
same  sum  a  few  years  later.  In  1838  Lord  Suffield  offered  3,000 
guineas  for  Mr.  Lambton's  pack,  and  afterwads  sold  it  to  Sir 
Matthew  White  Ridley  for  2,500.  In  1834  Osbaldeston  sold 
ten  couples  of  bitches,  all  descendants  of  Furrier,  for  2,000 
sovereigns,  or  £100  a  hound — a  record  that  was  almost  eclipsed 
at  the  sale  of  Lord  Politmore's  hounds  in  1870,  when  twenty- 
two  couples  of  dog-hounds  sold  for  3,365  guineas. 

Of  late  years  there  has  been  the  sale  of  the  Quorn  for,  it  was 
said,  £3,000,  and  the  late  Lord  Willoughby  de  Broke  valued 
the  North  Warwickshire  for  the  county  to  purchase  at  £2,500. 
In  1903  the  Atherstone  was  valued  by  Mr.  Rawlence,  the 
well-known  representative  of  Tattersall's,  at  £3,500,  or  some- 
thing like  £50  a  hound,  and  that  has  been  considered  very 
cheap.  If,  therefore,  modern  prices  have  not  greatly  exceeded 
those  of  the  far  past,  there  has  not  been  any  particular  diminu- 
tion, and  there  is  no  doubt  about  it  that  if  certain  packs  could 
be  purchased  the  prices  would  far  exceed  anything  ever 
reached  before. 

Foxhounds  have  very  much  improved  in  looks  during  the 
past  five-and-twenty  years,  and  unquestionably  they  are  quite 
as  good  in  the  field  or  better.  Whenever  hounds  have  good 
foxes  in  front  of  them,  and  good  huntsmen  to  assist  or  watch 
over  them,  they  are  as  able  as  ever,  notwithstanding  that  the 
drawbacks  to  good  sport  are  more  numerous  now  than  they 
used  to  be.  The  noble  hound  will  always  be  good  enough, 
and  ever  and  anon  this  is  shown  by  a  run  of  the  Great  Wood 
order,  to  hunt  over  five-and-twenty  to  thirty  miles  at  a  pace 


122        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

to  settle  all  the  horses,  and  yet  every  hound  will  be  up.  There 
has  been  a  slight  tendency  to  increase  size  of  late  years.  The 
Belvoir  dog-hound  is  within  very  little  of  24  inches  instead  of 
23^,  the  standard  of  twenty  years  ago,  and  this  increase  has 
become  very  general.  In  elegance  of  form  nothing  has  been 
lost,  and  there  can  be  no  other  to  possess  beauty  combined 
with  power  and  the  essential  points  for  pace  and  endurance  in 
the  same  degree  as  a  Foxhound. 
A  detailed  description  of  the  Foxhound  is  here  given  : — 

Head — Somewhat  broad,  not  peaked  like  the  Bloodhound,  but  long 
from  the  apex  to  the  frontal  bones,  eyebrows  very  prominent,  cheeks 
cut  clean  from  the  eye  to  the  nostril,  ears  set  low  and  in  their  natural 
condition  thin  and  shapely,  but  not  large,  nose  large,  jaw  strong  and 
level,  and  small  dewlaps,  expression  fierce,  and  with  the  best  often 
repellent.  Eyes — Very  bright  and  deeply  set,  full  of  determination, 
and  with  a  very  steady  expression.  The  look  of  the  Foxhound  is  very 
remarkable.  Neck — Should  be  perfectly  clean,  no  skin  ruflle  whatever, 
or  neck  cloth,  as  huntsmen  call  it.  The  length  of  neck  is  of  importance, 
both  for  stooping  and  giving  an  air  of  majesty.  Shoulders — The  blades 
should  be  well  into  the  back,  and  should  slant,  otherwise  be  wide  and 
strong,  to  meet  the  arms,  that  should  be  long  and  powerful.  Legs  and 
Feet — The  bone  should  be  perfectly  straight  from  the  arm  downward, 
and  descend  in  the  same  degree  of  size  to  the  ankles,  or,  as  the  saying 
is,  "  down  to  his  toes."  The  knee  should  be  almost  flat  and  level ; 
there  should  be  no  curve  until  coming  to  the  toes,  which  should  be  very 
strong,  round,  cat-shaped,  and  every  toe  clean  set  as  it  were.  Fore- 
ribs  and  Brisket — Deep,  fine  ribs  are  very  essential,  and  the  brisket 
should  be  well  below  the  elbows.  Back  and  Loins — Back  should  be 
straight.  A  hollow  back  offends  the  eye  much,  and  a  roach  back  is 
worse.  The  loin  wide,  back  ribs  deep  and  long,  a  slight  prominence 
over  the  croup.  Quarters  and  Hocks — The  quarters  cannot  be  too  long, 
full,  showing  a  second  thigh,  and  meeting  a  straight  hock  low  down,  the 
shank  bone  short,  and  meeting  shapely  feet.  Coat — The  coat  is  hard 
hair,  but  short  and  smooth,  the  texture  is  as  stiff  as  bristles,  but  beau- 
tifully laid.  Colour — Belvoir  tan,  which  is  brown  and  black,  perfectly 
intermixed,  with  white  markings  of  various  shapes  and  sizes.  The 
white  should  be  very  opaque  and  clear.  Black  and  white,  with  tan 
markings  on  head  and  stifles.  Badger  pied — a  kind  of  grey  and  white. 
Lemon  pied,  light  yellow  and  white.  Hare  pied,  a  darker  yellow  and 
white.  Stern — Long  and  carried  gaily,  but  not  curled  ;  often  half  white. 
Height— Dogs  from  23  i  to  24  inches  ;  bitches  from  22  to  22  i  inches. 


CHAPTER    XXI 
THE   HARRIER   AND   THE   BEAGLE 

THE  Harrier  is  a  distinct  breed  of  hound  used  for  hunting  the 
hare — or  rather  it  should  be  said  the  Association  of  Masters  of 
Harriers  are  doing  their  utmost  to  perpetuate  this  breed  ;  the 
Harrier  Stud  Book  bearing  witness  thereto  :  and  it  is  to  be 
deplored  that  so  many  Masters  of  Harriers  ignore  this  fact,  and 
are  content  to  go  solely  to  Foxhound  kennels  to  start  their  packs 
of  Harriers,  choosing,  maybe,  20  inch  to  22  inch  Foxhounds, 
and  thenceforth  calling  them  Harriers.  It  is,  indeed,  a 
common  belief  that  the  modern  Harrier  is  but  a  smaller  edition 
of  the  Foxhound,  employed  for  hunting  the  hare  instead  of  the 
fox,  and  it  is  almost  useless  to  reiterate  that  it  is  a  distinct 
breed  of  hound  that  can  boast  of  possibly  greater  antiquity 
than  any  other,  or  to  insist  upon  the  fact  that  Xenophon 
himself  kept  a  pack  of  Harriers  over  two  thousands  years  ago. 
Nevertheless,  in  general  appearance  the  Harrier  and  the 
Foxhound  are  very  much  alike,  the  one  obvious  distinction 
being  that  of  size. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  what  standard  of  height  it  is  advisable 
to  aim  at.  If  you  want  to  hunt  your  Harriers  on  foot,  16 
inches  is  quite  big  enough — almost  too  big  to  run  with  ; 
but  if  you  are  riding  to  them,  20  inches  is  a  useful  height,  or 
even  19  inches.  Either  is  a  good  workable  size,  and  such 
hounds  should  be  able  to  slip  along  fast  enough  for  most  people. 
Choose  your  hounds  with  plenty  of  bone,  but  not  too  clumsy 
or  heavy ;  a  round,  firm  neck,  not  too  short,  with  a  swan-like 
curve  ;  a  lean  head  with  a  long  muzzle  and  fairly  short  ears  ; 
a  broad  chest  with  plenty  of  lung  room,  fore-legs  like  gun 

123 


124        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

barrels,  straight  and  strong ;  hind-legs  with  good  thighs  and 
well  let  down  hocks  ;  feet,  round  like  cats'  feet,  and  a  well-set- 
on,  tapering  stern.  Such  a  make  and  shape  should  see  many 
seasons  through,  and  allow  you  to  be  certain  of  pace  and 
endurance  in  your  pack.  It  is  useless  to  lay  down  any  hard 
and  fast  rule  as  to  colour.  It  is  so  much  a  matter  of  individual 
taste.  Some  Masters  have  a  great  fancy  for  the  dark  colour- 
ing of  the  old  Southern  Hound,  but  nothing  could  look  much 
smarter  than  a  good  combination  of  Belvoir  tan  with  black  and 
white.  Puppies,  as  a  rule,  a  week  or  two  after  they  are  whelped, 
show  a  greater  proportion  of  dark  marking  than  any  other, 
but  this  as  they  grow  older  soon  alters,  and  their  white 
marking  becomes  much  more  conspicuous.  As  in  the  case  of  the 
Foxhound,  the  Harrier  is  very  seldom  kept  as  a  companion 
apart  from  the  pack.  But  puppies  are  usually  sent  out  to  walk, 
and  may  easily  be  procured  to  be  kept  and  reared  until  they 
are  old  enough  to  be  entered  to  their  work.  Doubtless  the 
rearing  of  a  Harrier  puppy  is  a  great  responsibility,  but  it  is 
also  a  delight  to  many  who  feel  that  they  are  helping  in  the 
advancement  of  a  great  national  sport. 

There  is  nothing  to  surpass  the  beauty  of  the  Beagle  either 
to  see  him  on  the  flags  of  his  kennel  or  in  unravelling 
a  difficulty  on  the  line  of  a  dodging  hare.  In  neat- 
ness he  is  really  the  little  model  of  a  Foxhound.  He  is, 
of  course,  finer,  but  with  the  length  of  neck  so  perfect  in  the 
bigger  hound,  the  little  shoulders  of  the  same  pattern,  and 
the  typical  quarters  and  second  thighs.  Then  how  quick 
he  is  in  his  casts  !  and  when  he  is  fairly  on  a  line,  of  course 
he  sticks  to  it,  as  the  saying  is,  "  like  a  beagle." 

Beagles  have  been  carefully  preserved  for  a  great  many 
years,  and  in  some  cases  they  have  been  in  families  for  almost 
centuries.  In  the  hereditary  hunting  establishments  they 
have  been  frequently  found,  as  the  medium  of  amusement 
and  instruction  in  hunting  for  the  juvenile  members  of  the 
house ;  and  there  can  be  nothing  more  likely  to  instil  the 


THE  HARRIER  AND  THE  BEAGLE    125 

right  principles  of  venery  into  the  youthful  mind  than  to 
follow  all  the  ways  of  these  little  hounds. 

Dorsetshire  used  to  be  the  great  county  for  Beagles.  The 
downs  there  were  exactly  fitted  for  them,  and  years  ago, 
when  roe-deer  were  preserved  on  the  large  estates,  Beagles 
were  used  to  hunt  this  small  breed  of  deer.  Mr.  Cranes' 
Beagles  were  noted  at  the  time,  and  also  those  of  a  Colonel 
Harding.  It  is  on  record  that  King  George  IV.  had  a 
strong  partiality  for  Beagles,  and  was  wont  to  see  them 
work  on  the  downs  round  about  Brighton.  The  uses 
of  the  Beagle  in  the  early  days  of  the  last  century, 
however,  were  a  good  deal  diversified.  They  were  hunted 
in  big  woodlands  to  drive  game  to  the  gun,  and  perhaps  the 
ordinary  Beagle  of  from  12  inches  to  14  inches  was  not  big 
enough  for  the  requirements  of  the  times.  It  is  quite  possible, 
therefore,  that  the  Beagle  was  crossed  with  the  Welsh,  Southern 
or  Otterhound,  to  get  more  size  and  power,  as  there  certainly 
was  a  Welsh  rough-coated  Beagle  of  good  18  inches,  and  an 
almost  identical  contemporary  that  was  called  the  Essex 
Beagle.  Sixty  years  ago  such  hounds  were  common  enough, 
but  possibly  through  the  adoption  of  the  more  prevalent  plan 
of  beating  coverts,  and  Spaniels  being  in  more  general  use, 
the  vocation  of  the  Beagle  in  this  particular  direction  died  out, 
and  a  big  rough-coated  Beagle  is  now  very  rarely  seen. 

That  a  great  many  of  the  true  order  were  bred  became  very 
manifest  as  soon  as  the  Harrier  and  Beagle  Association  was 
formed,  and  more  particularly  when  a  section  of  the  Peter- 
borough Hound  Show  was  reserved  for  them.  Then  they 
seemed  to  spring  from  every  part  of  the  country.  In  1896 
one  became  well  acquainted  with  many  packs  that  had 
apparently  held  aloof  from  the  dog  shows.  There  was  the 
Cheshire,  the  Christ  Church  (Oxford),  Mr.  T.  Johnson's,  the 
Royal  Rock,  the  Thorpe  Satchville,  the  Worcestershire,  etc., 
and  of  late  there  have  been  many  more  that  are  as  well  known 
as  packs  of  Foxhounds.  One  hears  now  of  the  Chauston,  the 
Halstead  Place — very  noted  indeed — the  Hulton,  the  Leigh 


126        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Park,  the  Stoke  Place,  the  Edinburgh,  the  Surbiton,  the 
Trinity  Foot,  the  Wooddale,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Hilliard's,  Mrs. 
Price's,  and  Mrs.  Turner's. 

Beagle  owners,  like  the  masters  of  Foxhound  kennels,  have 
never  been  very  partial  to  the  ordinary  dog  shows,  and  so 
the  development  of  the  up-to-date  Beagle,  as  seen  at  recent 
shows,  is  somewhat  new.  It  is  just  as  it  should  be,  and  if 
more  people  take  up  "  beagling  "  it  may  not  be  in  the  least 
surprising.  They  are  very  beautiful  little  hounds,  can  give 
a  vast  amount  of  amusement,  and,  for  the  matter  of  that, 
healthy  exercise.  If  a  stout  runner  can  keep  within  fairly 
easy  distance  of  a  pack  of  well-bred  Beagles  on  the  line  of 
a  lively  Jack  hare,  he  is  in  the  sort  of  condition  to  be  generally 
envied. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  BEAGLE:  Head— Fair  length,  powerful 
without  being  coarse  ;  skull  domed,  moderately  wide,  with  an  indication 
of  peak,  stop  well  defined,  muzzle  not  snipy,  and  lips  well  flewed.  Nose 
— Black,  broad,  and  nostrils  well  expanded.  Eyes — Brown,  dark  hazel 
or  hazel,  not  deep  set  nor  bulgy,  and  with  a  mild  expression.  Ears 
— Long,  set  on  low,  fine  in  texture,  and  hanging  in  a  graceful  fold 
close  to  the  cheek.  Neck — Moderately  long,  slightly  arched,  the  throat 
showing  some  dewlap.  Shoulders — Clean  and  slightly  sloping.  Body 
— Short  between  the  couplings,  well  let  down  in  chest,  ribs  fairly  well 
sprung  and  well  ribbed  up,  with  powerful  and  not  tucked-up  loins. 
Hind-quarters — Very  muscular  about  the  thighs,  stifles  and  hocks  well 
bent,  and  hocks  well  let  down.  Fore-legs — Quite  straight,  well  under 
the  dog,  of  good  substance  and  round  in  the  bone.  Feet — Round,  well 
knuckled  up,  and  strongly  padded.  Stern — Moderate  length,  set  on 
high,  thick  and  carried  gaily,  but  not  curled  over  the  back.  Colour — 
Any  recognised  hound  colour.  Coat — Smooth  variety :  Smooth, 
very  dense  and  not  too  fine  or  short.  Rough  variety  :  Very  dense 
and  wiry.  Height — Not  exceeding  16  inches.  Pocket  Beagles  must 
not  exceed  10  inches.  General  Appearance — A  compactly-built  hound, 
without  coarseness,  conveying  the  impression  of  great  stamina  and 
vivacity. 


CHAPTER    XXII 
THE    POINTER 

IT  has  never  been  made  quite  clear  in  history  why  the  Spaniards 
had  a  dog  that  was  very  remarkable  for  pointing  all  kinds  of 
game.  They  have  always  been  a  pleasure-loving  people, 
certainly,  but  more  inclined  to  bull-fighting  than  field-craft, 
and  yet  as  early  as  1600  they  must  have  had  a  better  dog  for 
game-finding  than  could  have  been  found  in  any  other  part  of 
the  world.  Singularly  enough,  too,  the  most  esteemed  breeds 
in  many  countries  can  be  traced  from  the  same  source,  such 
as  the  Russian  Pointer,  the  German  Pointer,  the  French 
double-nosed  Griffon,  and,  far  more  important  still,  the  English 
Pointer.  A  view  has  been  taken  that  the  Spanish  double- 
nosed  Pointer  was  introduced  into  England  about  two  hundred 
years  ago,  when  fire-arms  were  beginning  to  be  popular 
for  fowling  purposes.  Setters  and  Spaniels  had  been  used  to 
find  and  drive  birds  into  nets,  but  as  the  Spanish  Pointer 
became  known  it  was  apparently  considered  that  he  alone  had 
the  capacity  to  find  game  for  the  gun.  This  must  have  been 
towards  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  for  the  next 
fifty  years  at  least  something  very  slow  was  wanted  to  meet 
the  necessities  of  the  old-fashioned  flintlock  gun,  which 
occupied  many  minutes  in  loading  and  getting  into  position. 
Improvements  came  by  degrees,  until  they  set  in  very  rapidly, 
but  probably  by  1750,  when  hunting  had  progressed  a  good 
deal,  and  pace  was  increased  in  all  pastimes,  the  old-fashioned 
Pointer  was  voted  a  nuisance  through  his  extreme  caution  and 
tortoise-like  movements. 

There  is  evidence,  through  portraits,  that  Pointers  had  been 

127 


128        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

altogether  changed  by  the  year  1800,  but  it  is  possible  that 
the  breed  then  had  been  continued  by  selection  rather  than 
by  crossing  for  a  couple  of  decades,  as  it  is  quite  certain  that 
by  1815  sportsmen  were  still  dissatisfied  with  the  want  of  pace 
in  the  Pointer,  and  many  sportsmen  are  known  to  have 
crossed  their  Pointers  with  Foxhounds  at  about  that  time. 
By  1835  the  old  Spanish  Pointer  had  been  left  behind,  and  the 
English  dog  was  a  perfect  model  for  pace,  stamina,  resolution, 
and  nerve.  The  breed  was  exactly  adapted  to  the  require- 
ments of  that  day,  which  was  not  quite  as  fast  as  the  present. 
Men  shot  with  good  Joe  Mantons,  did  their  own  loading,  and 
walked  to  their  dogs,  working  them  right  and  left  by  hand 
and  whistle.  The  dogs  beat  their  ground  methodically,  their 
heads  at  the  right  level  for  body  scent,  and  when  they  came 
on  game,  down  they  were  ;  the  dog  that  had  got  it  pointing, 
and  the  other  barking  or  awaiting  developments.  There  was 
nothing  more  beautiful  than  the  work  of  a  well-bred  and  well- 
broken  brace  of  Pointers,  or  more  perfect  than  the  way  a 
man  got  his  shots  from  them.  There  was  nothing  slow  about 
them,  but  on  the  contrary  they  went  a  great  pace,  seemed  to 
shoot  into  the  very  currents  of  air  for  scent,  and  yet  there  was 
no  impatience  about  them  such  as  might  have  been  expected 
from  the  Foxhound  cross.  The  truth  of  it  was  that  the 
capacity  to  concentrate  the  whole  attention  on  the  object 
found  was  so  intense  as  to  have  lessened  every  other  propensity. 
The  rush  of  the  Foxhound  had  been  absorbed  by  the  additional 
force  of  the  Pointer  character.  There  has  been  nothing  at  all 
like  it  in  canine  culture,  and  it  came  out  so  wonderfully  after 
men  had  been  shooting  in  the  above  manner  for  about  forty 
years. 

It  was  nearing  the  end  of  this  period  that  field  trials  began 
to  occupy  the  attention  of  breeders  and  sportsmen,  and 
although  Setters  had  been  getting  into  equal  repute  for  the 
beauty  of  their  work,  there  was  something  more  brilliant  about 
the  Pointers  at  first.  Brockton's  Bounce  was  a  magnificent 
dog,  a  winner  on  the  show  bench,  and  of  the  first  Field  Trial 


THE  POINTER  129 

in  England.  Newton's  Ranger  was  another  of  the  early  per- 
formers, and  he  was  very  staunch  and  brilliant,  but  it  was  in 
the  next  five  years  that  the  most  extraordinary  Pointer  merit 
was  seen,  as  quite  incomparable  was  Sir  Richard  Garth's 
Drake,  who  was  just  five  generations  from  the  Spanish  Pointer. 
Drake  was  rather  a  tall,  gaunt  dog,  but  with  immense  depth 
of  girth,  long  shoulders,  long  haunches,  and  a  benevolent, 
quiet  countenance.  There  was  nothing  very  attractive  about 
him  when  walking  about  at  Stafford  prior  to  his  trial,  but  the 
moment  he  was  down  he  seemed  to  paralyse  his  opponent, 
as  he  went  half  as  fast  again.  It  was  calculated  that  he  went 
fifty  miles  an  hour,  and  at  this  tremendous  pace  he  would  stop 
as  if  petrified,  and  the  momentum  would  cover  him  with  earth 
and  dust.  He  did  not  seem  capable  of  making  a  mistake, 
and  his  birds  were  always  at  about  the  same  distance  from 
him,  to  show  thereby  his  extraordinary  nose  and  confidence. 
Nothing  in  his  day  could  beat  him  in  a  field.  He  got  some 
good  stock,  but  they  were  not  generally  show  form,  the  bitches 
by  him  being  mostly  light  and  small,  and  his  sons  a  bit  high 
on  the  leg.  None  of  them  had  his  pace,  but  some  were  capital 
performers,  such  as  Sir  Thomas  Lennard's  Mallard,  Mr. 
George  Pilkington's  Tory,  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  Luck  of  Edenhall, 
winner  of  the  Field  Trial  Derby,  1878  ;  Lord  Downe's  Mars 
and  Bounce,  and  Mr.  Barclay  Field's  Riot.  When  Sir  Richard 
Garth  went  to  India  and  sold  his  kennel  of  Pointers  at  Tatter- 
sail's,  Mr.  Lloyd  Price  gave  150  guineas  for  Drake. 

The  mid-century  owners  and  breeders  had  probably  all  the 
advantages  of  what  a  past  generation  had  done,  as  there  were 
certainly  many  wonderful  Pointers  in  the  'fifties,  'sixties,  and 
'seventies,  as  old  men  living  to-day  will  freely  allow.  They 
were  produced  very  regularly,  too,  in  a  marvellous  type  of 
perfection. 

Mr.  William  Arkwright,  of  Sutton  Scarsdale,  Derbyshire, 

has  probably  the  best  kennel  in  England  at  the  present  time. 

He  discovered  and  revived  an  old  breed  of  the  North  of  England 

that  was  black,  and  bred  for  a  great  many  years  by  Mr.  Pape, 

j 


130        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

of  Carlisle,  and  his  father  before  him.  With  these  Mr.  Arkwright 
has  bred  to  the  best  working  strains,  with  the  result  that 
he  has  had  many  good  field  trial  winners.  For  a  good  many 
years  now  Elias  Bishop,  of  Newton  Abbot,  has  kept  up  the  old 
breeds  of  Devon  Pointers,  the  Ch.  Bangs,  the  Mikes,  and  the 
Brackenburg  Romps,  and  his  have  been  amongst  the  best  at 
the  shows  and  the  field  trials  during  the  past  few  years. 
There  are,  of  course,  exceptions  to  the  rule  that  many  of  the 
modern  Pointers  do  not  carry  about  them  the  air  of  their 
true  business  ;  but  it  would  appear  that  fewer  people  keep 
them  now  than  was  the  case  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  owing 
to  the  advance  of  quick-shooting,  otherwise  driving,  and  the 
consequent  falling  away  of  the  old-fashioned  methods,  both 
for  the  stubble  and  the  moor.  However,  there  are  many  still 
who  enjoy  the  work  of  dogs,  and  it  would  be  a  sin  indeed  in 
the  calendar  of  British  sports  if  the  fine  old  breed  of  Pointer 
were  allowed  even  to  deteriorate.  The  apparent  danger  is 
that  the  personal  or  individual  element  is  dying  out.  In 
the  'seventies  the  name  of  Drake,  Bang,  or  Garnet  were  like 
household  words.  People  talked  of  the  great  Pointers.  They 
were  spoken  of  in  club  chat  or  gossip  ;  written  about ;  and 
the  prospects  of  the  moors  were  much  associated  with  the  up- 
to-date  characters  of  the  Pointers  and  Setters.  There  is 
very  little  of  this  sort  of  talk  now-a-days.  Guns  are  more 
critically  spoken  of.  There  is,  however,  a  wide  enough  world 
to  supply  with  first-class  Pointers.  In  England's  numerous 
colonies  it  may  be  much  more  fitting  to  shoot  over  dogs.  It 
has  been  tried  in  South  Africa  with  marvellous  results. 
Descendants  of  Bang  have  delighted  the  lone  colonist  on  Cape 
partridge  and  quails,  and  Pointers  suit  the  climate,  whereas 
Setters  do  not.  The  Pointer  is  a  noble  breed  to  take  up,  as 
those  still  in  middle  life  have  seen  its  extraordinary  merit 
whenever  bred  in  the  right  way.  As  to  the  essential  points 
of  the  breed,  they  may  be  set  down  as  follows  : — 

Head — Should  be  wide  from  ear  to  ear,  long  and  slanting  from  the 
top  of  the  skull  to  the  setting  on  of  the  nose  ;  cheek  bones  prominent ; 


THE  POINTER  131 

ears  set  low  and  thin  in  texture,  soft  and  velvety ;  nose  broad  at  the 
base  ;  mouth  large  and  jaws  level.  Neck — The  neck  should  be  very 
strong,  but  long  and  slightly  arched,  meeting  shoulders  well  knit  into 
the  back,  which  should  be  straight  and  joining  a  wide  loin.  There  should 
be  great  depth  of  heart  room,  very  deep  brisket,  narrow  chest  rather 
than  otherwise,  shoulders  long  and  slanting.  Legs  and  Feet — Should  be 
as  nearly  like  the  Foxhound's  as  possible.  There  should  be  really  no 
difference,  as  they  must  be  straight,  the  knees  big,  and  the  bone  should 
be  of  goodly  size  down  to  the  toes,  and  the  feet  should  be  very  round 
and  cat-shaped.  Hind-quarters — A  great  feature  in  the  Pointer  is  his 
hind-quarters.  He  cannot  well  be  too  long  in  the  haunch  or  strong  in 
the  stifle,  which  should  be  well  bent,  and  the  muscles  in  the  second  thigh 
of  a  good  Pointer  are  always  remarkable.  The  hocks  may  be  straighter 
than  even  in  a  Foxhound,  as,  in  pulling  up  sharp  on  his  point,  he  in  a 
great  measure  throws  his  weight  on  them  ;  the  shank  bones  below  the 
hock  should  be  short.  Colour — There  have  been  good  ones  of  all  colours. 
The  Derby  colours  were  always  liver  and  whites  for  their  Pointers 
and  black  breasted  reds  for  their  game-cocks.  The  Seftons  were  liver 
and  whites  also,  and  so  were  the  Edges  of  Strelly,  but  mostly  heavily 
ticked.  Brockton's  Bounce  was  so,  and  so  were  Ch.  Bang,  Mike,  and 
Young  Bang.  Drake  was  more  of  the  Derby  colour ;  dark  liver  and 
white.  Mr.  Whitehouse's  were  mostly  lemon  and  whites,  after  Hamlet 
of  that  colour,  and  notable  ones  of  the  same  hue  were  Squire,  Bang 
Bang,  and  Mr.  Whitehouse's  Pax  and  Priam,  all  winners  of  field  trials. 
There  have  been  several  very  good  black  and  whites.  Mr.  Francis's, 
afterwards  Mr.  Salter's,  Chang  was  a  field  trial  winner  of  this  colour. 
A  still  better  one  was  Mr.  S.  Becket's  Rector,  a  somewhat  mean  little 
dog  to  look  at,  but  quite  extraordinary  in  his  work,  as  he  won  the 
Pointer  Puppy  Stake  at  Shrewsbury  and  the  All-Aged  Stake  three 
years  in  succession.  Mr.  Salter's  Romp  family  were  quite  remarkable 
in  colour — a  white  ground,  heavily  shot  with  black  in  patches  and  in 
ticks.  There  have  never  been  any  better  Pointers  than  these.  There 
have  been,  and  are,  good  black  Pointers  also.  Height  and  Size — A  big 
Pointer  dog  stands  from  24  £  inches  to  25  inches  at  the  shoulder.  Old 
Ch.  Bang  and  Young  Bang  were  of  the  former  height,  and  the  great 
bitch,  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  Belle,  was  24  inches.  For  big  Pointers  60 
pounds  is  about  the  weight  for  dogs  and  56  pounds  bitches  ;  smaller 
size,  54  pounds  dogs  and  48  pounds  bitches.  There  have  been  some 
very  good  ones  still  smaller. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 
THE   SETTERS 

I.  THE  ENGLISH  SETTER. — In  some  form  or  other  Setters  are 
to  be  found  wherever  guns  are  in  frequent  use  and  irrespective 
of  the  precise  class  of  work  they  have  to  perform  ;  but  their 
proper  sphere  is  either  on  the  moors,  when  the  red  grouse  are 
in  quest,  or  on  the  stubbles  and  amongst  the  root  crops,  when 
September  comes  in,  and  the  partridge  season  commences. 

Robert  Dudley,  Earl  of  Leicester,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  first  person  to  train  setting  dogs  in  the  manner  which 
has  been  commonly  adopted  by  his  successors.  His  lordship 
lived  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  was  therefore 
a  contemporary  of  Dr.  Caius,  who  may  possibly  have  been 
indebted  to  the  Earl  for  information  when,  in  his  work  on 
English  Dogges,  he  wrote  of  the  Setter  under  the  name  of  the 
Index. 

Though  Setters  are  divided  into  three  distinct  varieties, 
— The  English,  the  Irish  and  the  Gordon,  or  Black  and  Tan — 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  all  have  a  common  origin,  though 
it  is  scarcely  probable,  in  view  of  their  dissimilarity,  that  the 
same  individual  ancestors  can  be  supposed  to  be  their  original 
progenitors.  Nearly  all  authorities  agree  that  the  Spaniel 
family  is  accountable  on  one  side,  and  this  contention  is  borne 
out  to  a  considerable  extent  by  old  illustrations  and  paintings 
of  Setters  at  work,  in  which  they  are  invariably  depicted  as 
being  very  much  like  the  old  liver  and  white  Spaniel,  though 
of  different  colours.  Doubt  exists  as  to  the  other  side  of  their 
heredity,  but  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  all  those  who 
first  bred  them  used  the  same  means.  Of  the  theories  put 

132 


THE  SETTERS  133 

forward,  that  which  carries  the  most  presumptive  evidence 
must  go  to  the  credit  of  the  old  Spanish  Pointer.  Where  else 
could  they  inherit  that  wonderful  scenting  power,  that  style 
in  which  they  draw  up  to  their  game,  their  statuesque  attitude 
when  on  point,  and,  above  all,  the  staunchness  and  patience 
by  which  they  hold  their  game  spellbound  until  the  shooter 
has  time  to  walk  leisurely  up,  even  from  a  considerable 
distance  ? 

But,  apart  from  the  question  of  their  origin,  the  different 
varieties  have  many  other  attributes  in  common  ;  all  perform 
the  same  kind  of  work,  and  in  the  same  manner  ;  consequently 
the  system  of  breaking  or  training  them  varies  only  according 
to  the  temper  or  ideas  of  those  who  undertake  their  schooling. 

Few  dogs  are  more  admired  than  English  Setters,  and  those 
who  are  looked  upon  as  professional  exhibitors  have  not  been 
slow  to  recognise  the  fact  that  when  a  really  good  young  dog 
makes  its  appearance  it  is  a  formidable  rival  amongst  all  other 
breeds  when  the  special  prizes  come  to  be  allotted. 

Seen  either  at  its  legitimate  work  as  a  gun  dog  or  as  a 
domestic  companion,  the  English  Setter  is  one  of  the  most 
graceful  and  beautiful  of  the  canine  race,  and  its  elegant  form 
and  feathery  coat  command  instant  admiration.  Twenty 
years  ago  it  was  known  by  several  distinct  names,  among  the 
more  important  being  the  Blue  Beltons  and  Laveracks,  and 
this  regardless  of  any  consideration  as  to  whether  or  not  the 
dogs  were  in  any  way  connected  by  relationship  to  the  stock 
which  had  earned  fame  for  either  of  these  time-honoured 
names.  It  was  the  great  increase  in  the  number  of  shows 
and  some  confusion  on  the  part  of  exhibitors  that  made  it 
necessary  for  the  Kennel  Club  to  classify  under  one  heading 
these  and  others  which  had  attained  some  amount  of 
notability  and  the  old  terms  have  gradually  been  dropped. 

Doubtless  the  English  Setter  Club  has  done  much  since  its 
institution  in  1890  to  encourage  this  breed  of  dog,  and  has 
proved  the  usefulness  of  the  club  by  providing  two  very 
valuable  trophies,  the  Exhibitors'  Challenge  Cup  and  the 


134         DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Field  Trial  Challenge  Cup,  for  competition  amongst  its 
members,  besides  having  liberally  supported  all  the  leading 
shows ;  hence  it  has  rightly  come  to  be  regarded  as  the 
only  authority  from  which  an  acceptable  and  official  dictum 
for  the  guidance  of  others  can  emanate. 

The  following  is  the  standard  of  points  issued  by  the 
English  Setter  Club  : — 

Head — The  head  should  be  long  and  lean,  with  well-defined  stop. 
The  skull  oval  from  ear  to  ear,  showing  plenty  of  brain  room,  and  with 
a  well-defined  occipital  protuberance.  The  muzzle  moderately  deep 
and  fairly  square  ;  from  the  stop  to  the  point  of  the  nose  should  be  long, 
the  nostrils  wide,  and  the  jaws  of  nearly  equal  length  ;  flews  not  too 
pendulous.  The  colour  of  the  nose  should  be  black,  or  dark,  or  light 
liver,  according  to  the  colour  of  the  coat.  The  eyes  should  be  bright, 
mild,  and  intelligent,  and  of  a  dark  hazel  colour,  the  darker  the  better. 
The  ears  of  moderate  length,  set  on  low  and  hanging  in  neat  folds  close 
to  the  cheek  ;  the  tip  should  be  velvety,  the  upper  part  clothed  with  fine 
silky  hair.  Neck — The  neck  should  be  rather  long,  muscular,  and  lean, 
slightly  arched  at  the  crest,  and  clean  cut  where  it  joins  the  head  ; 
towards  the  shoulder  it  should  be  larger,  and  very  muscular,  not  throaty 
with  any  pendulosity  below  the  throat,  but  elegant  and  bloodlike  in 
appearance.  Body — The  body  should  be  of  moderate  length,  with 
shoulders  well  set  back  or  oblique  ;  back  short  and  level ;  loins  wide, 
slightly  arched,  strong  and  muscular.  Chest  deep  in  the  brisket,  with 
good  round  widely-sprung  ribs,  deep  in  the  back  ribs — that  is,  well 
ribbed  up.  Legs  and  Feet — The  stifles  should  be  well  bent  and  ragged, 
thighs  long  from  hip  to  hock.  The  forearm  big  and  very  muscular, 
the  elbow  well  let  down.  Pasterns  short,  muscular,  and  straight. 
The  feet  very  close  and  compact,  and  well  protected  by  hair  between 
the  toes.  Tall — The  tail  should  be  set  on  almost  in  a  line  with  the  back  ; 
medium  length,  not  curly  or  ropy,  to  be  slightly  curved  or  scimitar- 
shaped,  but  with  no  tendency  to  turn  upwards  ;  the  flag  or  feather 
hanging  in  long,  pendant  flakes  ;  the  feather  should  not  commence 
at  the  root,  but  slightly  below,  and  increase  in  length  to  the  middle, 
then  gradually  taper  off  towards  the  end  ;  and  the  hair  long,  bright, 
soft  and  silky,  wavy  but  not  curly.  Coat  and  Feathering — The  coat 
from  the  back  of  the  head  in  a  line  with  the  ears  ought  to  be  slightly 
wavy,  long,  and  silky,  which  should  be  the  case  with  the  coat  generally  ; 
the  breeches  and  fore-legs,  nearly  down  to  the  feet,  should  be  well 
feathered.  Colour  and  Markings — The  colour  may  be  either  black  and 
white,  lemon  and  white,  liver  and  white,  or  tricolour — that  is,  black, 
white,  and  tan  ;  those  without  heavy  patches  of  colour  on  the  body, 
but  flecked  all  over  preferred. 

II.  THE  IRISH  SETTER. — Though  this  variety  has  not 
attained  such  popularity  as  its  English  cousin,  it  is  not  because 
it  is  regarded  as  being  less  pleasing  to  the  eye,  for  in  general 


THE  SETTERS  135 

appearance  of  style  and  outline  there  is  very  little  difference  ; 
in  fact,  none,  if  the  chiselling  of  the  head  and  colour  of  the 
coat  be  except ed.  The  beautiful  rich  golden,  chestnut  colour 
which  predominates  in  all  well-bred  specimens  is  in  itself 
sufficient  to  account  for  the  great  favour  in  which  they  are 
regarded  generally,  while  their  disposition  is  sufficiently 
engaging  to  attract  the  attention  of  those  who  desire  to  have 
a  moderate-sized  dog  as  a  companion,  rather  than  either  a 
very  large  or  very  small  one.  Probably  this  accounts  for  so 
many  lady  exhibitors  in  England  preferring  them  to  the 
other  varieties  of  Setters.  We  have  to  go  over  to  its  native 
country,  however,  to  find  the  breed  most  highly  esteemed 
as  a  sporting  dog  for  actual  work,  and  there  it  is  naturally  first 
favourite ;  in  fact,  very  few  of  either  of  the  other  varieties 
are  to  be  met  with  from  one  end  of  the  Green  Isle  to  the  other. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  all  Irish  Setters  are  too  headstrong 
to  make  really  high-class  field  trial  dogs.  Some  of  them,  on 
the  contrary,  are  quite  as  great  in  speed  and  not  only  as  clever 
at  their  business,  but  quite  as  keen-nosed  as  other  Setters. 
Some  which  have  competed  within  the  past  few  years  at  the 
Irish  Red  Setter  Club's  trials  have  had  as  rivals  some  of 
the  best  Pointers  from  England  and  Scotland,  and  have 
successfully  held  their  own. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Irish  Setter  Club  is  Mr.  S.  Brown,  27, 
Eustace  Street,  Dublin,  and  the  standard  of  points  as  laid 
down  by  that  authority  is  as  follows  : — 

Head — The  head  should  be  long  and  lean.  The  skull  oval  (from  ear 
to  ear),  having  plenty  of  brain  room,  and  with  well-defined  occipital 
protuberance.  Brows  raised,  showing  stop.  The  muzzle  moderately 
deep  and  fairly  square  at  the  end.  From  the  stop  to  the  point  of  the 
nose  should  be  fairly  long,  the  nostrils  wide,  and  the  jaws  of  nearly 
equal  length  ;  flews  not  to  be  pendulous.  The  colour  of  the  nose 
dark  mahogany  or  dark  walnut,  and  that  of  the  eyes  (which  ought  not  to 
be  too  large)  rich  hazel  or  brown.  The  ears  to  be  of  moderate  size,  fine 
in  texture,  set  on  low,  well  back,  and  hanging  in  a  neat  fold  close  to  the 
head.  Neck — The  neck  should  be  moderately  long,  very  muscular, 
but  not  too  thick  ;  slightly  arched,  free  from  all  tendency  to  throati- 
ness.  Body — The  body  should  be  long.  Shoulders  fine  at  the  points, 
deep  and  sloping  well  back.  The  chest  as  deep  as  possible,  rather 


136        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

narrow  in  front.  The  ribs  well  sprung,  leaving  plenty  of  lung  room. 
Loins  muscular  and  slightly  arched.  The  hind-quarters  wide  and 
powerful.  Legs  and  Feet — The  hind-legs  from  hip  to  hock  should  be 
long  and  muscular ;  from  hock  to  heel  short  and  strong.  The  stifle 
and  hock  joints  well  bent,  and  not  inclined  either  in  or  out.  The  fore- 
legs should  be  straight  and  sinewy,  having  plenty  of  bone,  with  elbows 
free,  well  let  down,  and,  like  the  hocks,  not  inclined  either  in  or  out. 
The  feet  small,  very  firm  ;  toes  strong,  close  together,  and  arched. 
Tall — The  tail  should  be  of  moderate  length,  set  on  rather  low,  strong 
at  root,  and  tapering  to  a  fine  point,  to  be  carried  as  nearly  as  possible 
on  a  level  or  below  the  back.  Coat — On  the  head,  front  of  legs,  and 
tips  of  ears  the  coat  should  be  short  and  fine  ;  but  on  all  other  parts 
of  the  body  and  legs  it  ought  to  be  of  moderate  length,  flat,  and  as  free 
as  possible  from  curl  or  wave.  Feathering — The  feather  on  the  upper 
portion  of  the  ears  should  be  long  and  silky  ;  on  the  back  of  fore  and 
hind-legs  long  and  fine  ;  a  fair  amount  of  hair  on  the  belly,  forming  a 
nice  fringe,  which  may  extend  on  chest  and  throat.  Feet  to  be  well 
feathered  between  the  toes.  Tail  to  have  a  nice  fringe  of  moderately 
long  hair,  decreasing  in  length  as  it  approaches  the  point.  All  feather- 
ing to  be  as  straight  and  as  flat  as  possible.  Colour  and  Markings — 
The  colour  should  be  a  rich  golden  chestnut,  with  no  trace  whatever  of 
black  ;  white  on  chest,  throat,  or  toes,  or  a  small  star  on  the  forehead, 
or  a  narrow  streak  or  blaze  on  the  nose  or  face  not  to  disqualify. 

III.  THE  BLACK  AND  TAN  SETTER.— Originally  this  variety 
was  known  as  the  Gordon  Setter,  but  this  title  was  only  partly 
correct,  as  the  particular  dogs  first  favoured  by  the  Duke  of 
Gordon,  from  whom  they  took  the  name,  were  black,  tan,  and 
white,  heavily  built,  and  somewhat  clumsy  in  appearance. 
But  the  introduction  of  the  Irish  blood  had  the  effect  of  making 
a  racier-looking  dog  more  fashionable,  the  presence  of  white  on 
the  chest  was  looked  upon  with  disfavour,  and  the  Kennel 
Club  settled  the  difficulty  of  name  by  abolishing  the  term 
"  Gordon  "  altogether. 

Very  few  of  this  variety  have  appeared  at  field  trials  for 
several  years  past,  but  that  cannot  be  considered  a  valid  reason 
for  stigmatising  them  as  "  old-men's  dogs,"  as  some  narrow- 
minded  faddists  delight  in  calling  them.  On  the  few  occasions 
when  the  opportunity  has  been  presented  they  have  acquitted 
themselves  at  least  as  well  as,  and  on  some  occasions  better 
than,  their  rivals  of  other  varieties,  proving  to  be  as  fast,  as 
staunch,  and  as  obedient  as  any  of  them.  A  notable  example 
of  this  occurred  during  the  season  of  1902  and  1903,  when  Mr. 


THE  SETTERS  137 

Isaac  Sharpe's  Stylish  Ranger  was  so  remarkably  successful 
at  the  trials. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  account  for  the  lack  of  interest  which 
is  taken  in  the  variety  outside  Scotland,  but  the  fact  remains 
that  very  few  have  appeared  at  field  trials  within  recent  years, 
and  that  only  about  four  owners  are  troubling  the  officials  of 
English  shows  regularly  at  the  present  time. 

In  France,  Belgium,  Norway,  and  especially  in  Russia  this 
handsome  sporting  dog  is  a  far  greater  favourite  than  it  is 
in  Great  Britain,  not  only  for  work  with  the  gun,  but  as  a 
companion,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  at  many  a  Continental  dog  show 
more  specimens  of  the  breed  are  exhibited  than  could  be 
gathered  together  in  the  whole  of  the  United  Kingdom. 

The  want  of  an  active  organisation  which  would  foster 
and  encourage  the  interests  of  the  Black  and  Tan  Setter  is 
much  to  be  deplored,  and  is,  without  doubt,  the  chief  cause  of 
its  being  so  much  neglected,  for  in  these  strenuous  days,  when 
almost  every  breed  or  variety  of  breed  is  backed  up  by  its  own 
votaries,  it  cannot  be  expected  that  such  as  are  not  constantly 
kept  in  prominence  will  receive  anything  more  than  scant 
consideration. 

The  Black  and  Tan  Setter  is  heavier  than  the  English  or 
Irish  varieties,  but  shows  more  of  the  hound  and  less  of  the 
Spaniel.  The  head  is  stronger  than  that  of  the  English  Setter, 
with  a  deeper  and  broader  muzzle  and  heavier  lips.  The  ears 
are  also  somewhat  longer,  and  the  eyes  frequently  show 
the  haw.  The  black  should  be  as  jet,  and  entirely  free  from 
white.  The  tan  on  the  cheeks  and  over  the  eyes,  on  the  feet 
and  pasterns,  should  be  bright  and  clearly  defined,  and  the 
feathering  on  the  fore-legs  and  thighs  should  also  be  a  rich, 
dark  mahogany  tan. 

Amongst  the  oldest  and  most  successful  owners  of  Setters 
who  have  consistently  competed  at  field  trials  may  be  men- 
tioned Colonel  Cotes,  whose  Prince  Frederick  was  probably 
the  most  wonderful  backer  ever  known.  Messrs.  Purcell- 
Llewellyn,  W.  Arkwright,  Elias  and  James  Bishop,  F.  C.  Lowe, 


138        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

J.  Shorthose,  G.  Potter  and  S.  Smale,  who  may  be  considered 
the  oldest  Setter  judges,  and  who  have  owned  dogs  whose 
prowess  in  the  field  has  brought  them  high  reputation.  Mr. 
B.  J.  Warwick  has  within  recent  years  owned  probably  more 
winners  at  field  trials  than  any  other  owner,  one  of  his  being 
Compton  Bounce.  Captain  Heywood  Lonsdale  has  on  several 
occasions  proved  the  Ightfield  strain  to  be  staunch  and  true, 
as  witness  the  doughty  deeds  of  Duke  of  that  ilk,  and  the 
splendid  success  he  achieved  at  recent  grouse  trials  in  Scot- 
land with  his  Ightfield  Rob  Roy,  Mack,  and  Dot,  the  first- 
named  winning  the  all-aged  stake,  and  the  others  being  first 
and  third  in  the  puppy  stake.  Mr.  Herbert  Mitchell  has  been 
another  good  patron  of  the  trials,  and  has  won  many  important 
stakes.  Mr.  A.  T.  Williams  has  also  owned  a  few  noted  trial 
winners,  and  from  Scotland  comes  Mr.  Isaac  Sharpe,  whose 
Gordon  Setter,  Stylish  Ranger,  has  effectually  put  a  stop  to 
the  silly  argument  that  all  this  breed  are  old  men's  dogs. 

Many  of  the  older  field  trial  men  hold  tenaciously  to  the 
opinion  that  the  modern  exhibition  Setter  is  useless  for  high- 
class  work,  and  contend  that  if  field-trial  winners  are  to  be 
produced  they  must  be  bred  from  noted  working  strains. 
Doubtless  this  prejudice  in  favour  of  working  dogs  has  been 
engendered  by  the  circumstance  that  many  owners  of  cele- 
brated bench  winners  care  nothing  about  their  dogs  being 
trained,  in  some  cases  generation  after  generation  having  been 
bred  simply  for  show  purposes.  Under  such  conditions  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  capacity  for  fine  scenting 
properties  and  the  natural  aptitude  for  quickly  picking  up  a 
knowledge  of  their  proper  duties  in  the  field  is  impaired. 
But  there  is  no  reason  why  a  good  show  dog  should  not  also 
be  a  good  worker,  and  the  recent  edict  of  the  Kennel  Club 
which  rules  that  no  gun  dog  shall  be  entitled  to  championship 
honours  until  it  has  gained  a  certificate  of  merit  in  field  trials 
will  doubtless  tend  towards  a  general  improvement  in  the 
working  qualities  of  the  breeds  whose  providence  is  in  the 
finding  and  retrieving  of  game. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 
THE    RETRIEVERS 

IT  is  obviously  useless  to  shoot  game  unless  you  can  find  it 
after  it  has  been  wounded  or  killed,  and  from  the  earliest  times 
it  has  been  the  habit  of  sportsmen  to  train  their  dogs  to  do  the 
work  which  they  could  not  always  successfully  do  for  them- 
selves. The  Pointers,  Setters,  and  Spaniels  of  our  forefathers 
were  carefully  broken  not  only  to  find  and  stand  their  game, 
but  also  to  fetch  the  fallen  birds.  This  use  of  the  setting  and 
pointing  dog  is  still  common  on  the  Continent  and  in  the 
United  States,  and  there  is  no  inaccuracy  in  a  French  artist 
depicting  a  Pointer  with  a  partridge  in  its  mouth,  or  showing 
a  Setter  retrieving  waterfowl. 

The  Springer  and  the  old  curly-coated  water-dog  were 
regarded  as  particularly  adroit  in  the  double  work  of  finding 
and  retrieving.  Pointers  and  Setters  who  had  been  thus 
broken  were  found  to  deteriorate  in  steadiness  in  the  field, 
and  it  gradually  came  to  be  realised  that  even  the  Spaniel's 
capacity  for  retrieving  was  limited.  A  larger  and  quicker 
dog  was  wanted  to  divide  the  labour,  and  to  be  used  solely 
as  a  retriever  in  conjunction  with  the  other  gun  dogs.  The 
Poodle  was  tried  for  retrieving  with  some  success,  and  he 
showed  considerable  aptitude  in  finding  and  fetching  wounded 
wild  duck ;  but  he,  too,  was  inclined  to  maul  his  birds  and 
deliver  them  dead.  Even  the  old  English  Sheepdog  was 
occasionally  engaged  in  the  work,  and  various  crosses  with 
Spaniel  or  Setter  and  Collie  were  attempted  in  the  endeavour 
to  produce  a  grade  breed  having  the  desired  qualities  of  a  good 
nose,  a  soft  mouth,  and  an  understanding  brain,  together  with 

139 


140        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

a  coat  that  would  protect  its  wearer  from  the  ill  effects  of 
frequent  immersion  in  water. 

It  was  when  these  efforts  were  most  active — namely  about 
the  year  1850 — that  new  material  was  discovered  in  a  black- 
coated  dog  recently  introduced  into  England  from  Labrador. 
He  was  a  natural  water-dog,  with  a  constitution  impervious 
to  chills,  and  entirely  free  from  the  liability  to  ear  canker, 
which  had  always  been  a  drawback  to  the  use  of  the  Spaniel 
as  a  retriever  of  waterfowl.  Moreover,  he  was  himself  reputed 
to  be  a  born  retriever  of  game,  and  remarkably  sagacious.  His 
importers  called  him  a  Spaniel — a  breed  name  which  at  one 
time  was  also  applied  to  his  relative  the  Newfoundland. 
Probably  there  were  not  many  specimens  of  the  race  in 
England,  and,  although  there  is  no  record  explicitly  saying 
so,  it  is  conjectured  that  these  were  crossed  with  the  English 
Setter,  producing  what  is  now  familiarly  known  as  the  black, 
flat-coated  Retriever. 

One  very  remarkable  attribute  of  the  Retriever  is  that 
notwithstanding  the  known  fact  that  the  parent  stock  was 
mongrel,  and  that  in  the  early  dogs  the  Setter  type  largely 
predominated,  the  ultimate  result  has  favoured  the  Labrador 
cross  distinctly  and  prominently,  proving  how  potent,  even 
when  grafted  upon  a  stock  admittedly  various,  is  the  blood 
of  a  pure  race,  and  how  powerful  its  influence  for  fixing  type 
and  character  over  the  other  less  vital  elements  with  which  it 
is  blended. 

From  the  first,  sportsmen  recognised  the  extreme  value  of 
the  new  retrieving  dog.  Strengthened  and  improved  by  the 
Labrador  blood,  he  had  lost  little  if  any  of  the  Setter  beauty 
of  form.  He  was  a  dignified,  substantial,  intelligent,  good- 
tempered,  affectionate  companion,  faithful,  talented,  highly 
cultivated,  and  esteemed,  in  the  season  and  out  of  it,  for  his 
mind  as  well  as  his  beauty. 

It  is  only  comparatively  recently  that  we  have  realised  how 
excellent  an  all-round  sporting  dog  the  Retriever  has  become. 
In  many  cases,  indeed,  where  grouse  and  partridge  are  driven 


THE  RETRIEVERS  141 

or  walked-up  a  well-broken,  soft-mouthed  Retriever  is  unques- 
tionably superior  to  Pointer,  Setter,  or  Spaniel,  and  for  general 
work  in  the  field  he  is  the  best  companion  that  a  shooting 
man  can  possess. 

Doubtless  in  earlier  days,  when  the  art  of  training  was  less 
thoroughly  understood,  the  breaking  of  a  dog  was  a  matter  of 
infinite  trouble  to  breeders.  Most  of  the  gun  dogs  could  be 
taught  by  patience  and  practice  to  retrieve  fur  or  feather,  but 
game  carefully  and  skilfully  shot  is  easily  rendered  valueless 
by  being  mumbled  and  mauled  by  powerful  jaws  not  schooled 
to  gentleness.  And  this  question  of  a  tender  mouth  was 
certainly  one  of  the  problems  that  perturbed  the  minds  of  the 
originators  of  the  breed.  The  difficulty  was  overcome  by 
process  of  selection,  and  by  the  exclusion  from  breeding 
operations  of  all  hard-mouthed  specimens,  with  the  happy 
effect  that  in  the  present  time  it  is  exceptional  to  find  a 
working  Retriever  who  does  not  know  how  to  bring  his  bird 
to  hand  without  injuring  it.  A  better  knowledge  of  what  is 
expected  of  him  distinguishes  our  modern  Retriever.  He 
knows  his  duty,  and  is  intensely  eager  to  perform  it,  but  he 
no  longer  rushes  off  unbidden  at  the  firing  of  the  gun.  He 
has  learned  to  remain  at  heel  until  he  is  ordered  by  word  or 
gesture  from  his  master,  upon  whom  he  relies  as  his  friend  and 
director. 

It  would  be  idle  to  expect  that  the  offspring  of  unbroken 
sire  and  dam  can  be  as  easily  educated  as  a  Retriever 
whose  parents  before  him  have  been  properly  trained. 
Inherited  qualities  count  for  a  great  deal  in  the  adaptability 
of  all  sporting  dogs,  and  the  reason  why  one  meets  with  so 
many  Retrievers  that  are  incapable  or  disobedient  or  gun-shy 
is  simply  that  their  preliminary  education  has  been  neglected — 
the  education  which  should  begin  when  the  dog  is  very  young. 

In  his  earliest  youth  he  should  be  trained  to  prompt 
obedience  to  a  given  word  or  a  wave  of  the  hand.  It  is  well 
to  teach  him  very  early  to  enter  water,  or  he  may  be  found 
wanting  when  you  require  him  to  fetch  a  bird  from  river  or 


142        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

lake.  Lessons  in  retrieving  ought  to  be  a  part  of  his  daily 
routine.  Equally  necessary  is  it  to  break  him  in  to  the  know- 
ledge that  sheep  and  lambs  are  not  game  to  be  chased,  and 
that  rabbits  and  hares  are  to  be  discriminated  from  feathered 
game. 

Gun-shyness  is  often  supposed  to  be  hereditary  ;  but  it  is 
not  so.  Any  puppy  can  be  cured  of  gun-shyness  in  half  a 
dozen  short  lessons.  Sir  Henry  Smith's  advice  is  to  get  your 
puppy  accustomed  to  the  sound  and  sight  of  a  gun  being  fired, 
first  at  a  distance  and  gradually  nearer  and  nearer,  until  he 
knows  that  no  harm  will  come  to  him.  Companionship  and 
sympathy  between  dog  and  master  is  the  beginning  and  end 
of  the  whole  business,  and  there  is  a  moral  obligation  between 
them  which  ought  never  to  be  strained. 

Both  as  a  worker  and  as  a  show  dog  the  flat-coated  Retriever 
has  reached  something  very  near  to  the  ideal  standard  of 
perfection  which  has  been  consistently  bred  up  to.  Careful 
selection  and  systematic  breeding,  backed  up  by  enthusiasm, 
have  resulted  in  the  production  of  a  dog  combining  useful 
working  qualities  with  the  highest  degree  of  beauty. 

A  very  prominent  admirer  and  breeder  was  the  late  Mr.  S.  E. 
Shirley,  the  President  of  the  Kennel  Club,  who  owned  many 
Retrievers  superlative  both  as  workers  and  as  show  dogs, 
and  who  probably  did  more  for  the  breed  than  any  other  man 
of  his  generation. 

Mr.  Shirley's  work  was  carried  on  by  Mr.  Harding  Cox, 
who  devoted  much  time  and  energy  to  the  production  of  good 
Retrievers,  many  of  which  were  of  Mr.  Shirley's  strain.  Mr. 
Cox's  dogs  deservedly  achieved  considerable  fame  for  their 
levelness  of  type,  and  the  improvement  in  heads  so  noticeable 
at  the  present  time  is  to  be  ascribed  to  his  breeding  for  this 
point.  Mr.  L.  Allen  Shuter,  the  owner  of  Ch.  Darenth  and 
other  excellent  Retrievers  of  his  own  breeding,  claims  also  a 
large  share  of  credit  for  the  part  he  has  played  in  the  general 
improvement  of  the  breed.  Mr.  C.  A.  Phillips,  too,  owned 
admirable  specimens,  and  the  name  of  the  late  Lieut.-Colonel 


o 
u  1 


u  ^ 

It 

"i 

w  5 

&   .. 


THE  RETRIEVERS  143 

Cornwall  Legh  must  be  included.  Many  of  Colonel  Legh's 
bitches  were  of  Shirley  blood,  but  it  is  believed  that  a  breed 
of  Retrievers  had  existed  at  High  Legh  for  several  genera- 
tions, with  which  a  judicious  cross  was  made,  the  result  being 
not  only  the  formation  of  a  remarkable  kennel,  but  also  a 
decided  influence  for  good  upon  the  breed  in  general. 

But  since  the  Shirley  days,  when  competition  was  more 
limited  than  it  is  at  present,  no  kennel  of  Retrievers  has  ever 
attained  anything  like  the  distinction  of  that  owned  by  Mr. 
H.  Reginald  Cooke,  at  Riverside,  Nantwich.  By  acquiring 
the  best  specimens  of  the  breed  from  all  available  sources,  Mr. 
Cooke  has  gathered  together  a  stock  which  has  never  been 
equalled.  His  ideas  of  type  and  conformation  are  the  outcome 
of  close  and  attentive  study  and  consistent  practice,  and 
one  needs  to  go  to  Riverside  if  one  desires  to  see  the  highest 
examples  of  what  a  modern  flat-coated  Retriever  can  be. 

Since  Dr.  Bond  Moore  imparted  to  the  Retriever  a  fixity 
of  character,  the  coats  have  become  longer  and  less  wavy, 
and  in  conformation  of  skull,  colour  of  eye,  straightness  of 
legs,  and  quality  of  bone,  there  has  been  a  perceptible 
improvement. 

As  there  is  no  club  devoted  to  the  breed,  and  consequently 
no  official  standard  of  points,  the  following  description  of  the 
perfect  Retriever  is  offered : — 

General  Appearance — That  of  a  well-proportioned  bright  and  active 
sporting  dog,  showing  power  without  lumber  and  raciness  without 
weediness.  Head — Long,  fine,  without  being  weak,  the  muzzle  square, 
the  underjaw  strong  with  an  absence  of  lippiness  or  throatiness.  Eyes 
— Dark  as  possible,  with  a  very  intelligent,  mild  expression.  Neck — 
Long  and  clean.  Ears — Small,  well  set  on,  and  carried  close  to  the 
head.  Shoulders — Oblique,  running  well  into  the  back,  with  plenty  of 
depth  of  chest.  Body — Short  and  square,  and  well  ribbed  up.  Stern 
— Short  and  straight,  and  carried  gaily,  but  not  curled  over  the  back. 
Fore-legs — Straight,  pasterns  strong,  teet  small  and  round.  Quarters — 
Strong  ;  stifles  well  bent.  Coat — Dense  black  or  liver,  of  fine  quality 
and  texture.  Flat,  not  wavy.  Weight — From  65  Ib.  to  80  Ib.  for  dogs  ; 
bitches  rather  less. 

As  a  rule  the  Retriever  should  be  chosen  for  the  intelligent 
look  of  his  face,  and  particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  the 


144        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

shape  of  his  head  and  to  his  eyes.  His  frame  is  important,  o 
course,  but  in  the  Retriever  the  mental  qualities  are  of  mor 
significance  than  bodily  points. 

There  has  been  a  tendency  in  recent  years  among  Retrieve 
breeders  to  fall  into  the  common  error  of  exaggerating  a  par 
ticular  point,  and  of  breeding  dogs  with  a  head  far  too  fine  an< 
narrow — it  is  what  has  been  aptly  called  the  alligator  head- 
lacking  in  brain  capacity  and  power  of  jaw.  A  perfect  hea< 
should  be  long  and  clean,  but  neither  weak  nor  snipy.  Th 
eye  should  be  placed  just  halfway  between  the  occiput  an< 
the  tip  of  the  nose. 

It  is  pleasing  to  add  that  to  this  beautiful  breed  the  phras 
"  handsome  is  as  handsome  does  "  applies  in  full  measure 
Not  only  is  the  average  Retriever  of  a  companionable  disposi 
tion,  with  delightful  intelligence  that  is  always  responsive 
but  he  is  a  good  and  faithful  guard  and  a  courageous  protecto 
of  person  and  property.  It  has  already  been  said  that  th 
majority  of  the  best-looking  Retrievers  are  also  good  workin] 
dogs,  and  it  may  here  be  added  that  many  of  the  most  success 
ful  working  dogs  are  sired  by  prize-winners  in  the  show  ring. 

THE  CURLY-COATED  RETRIEVER 

The  curly-coated  Retriever  is  commonly  believed  to  b 
of  earlier  origin  than  his  flat-coated  relative,  and  he  is  of  les 
pure  descent.  He  probably  owes  ancestral  tribute  to  th 
Poodle.  Such  a  cross  may  conceivably  have  been  resortec 
to  by  the  early  Retriever  breeders,  and  there  was  little  t< 
lose  from  a  merely  sporting  point  of  view  from  this  aliei 
introduction,  for  the  Poodle  is  well  known  to  be  by  nature 
if  not  by  systematic  training,  an  excellent  water  dog,  capabl 
of  being  taught  anything  that  the  canine  mind  can  compre 
hend.  During  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  centuri 
the  Poodle  was  fairly  plentiful  in  England,  and  we  had  n< 
other  curly-coated  dog  of  similar  size  and  type  apart  from  thi 
Irish  Water  Spaniel,  who  may  himself  lay  claim  to  Poodl< 
relationship ;  while  as  to  the  Retriever,  either  curly  o 


THE  RETRIEVERS  145 

flat  coated,  he  can  in  no  sense  be  assigned  to  any  country 
outside  of  Great  Britain.  The  presumption  is  strong  that 
the  "  gentleman  from  France  "  was  largely  instrumental  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  variety,  but  whatever  the  origin  of  the 
curly-coated  Retriever  he  is  a  beautiful  dog,  and  one  is  gratified 
to  note  that  the  old  prejudice  against  him,  and  the  old  in- 
dictment as  to  his  hard  mouth,  are  fast  giving  place  to 
praise  of  his  intelligence  and  admiration  of  his  working 
abilities. 

Speaking  generally,  it  seems  to  be  accepted  that  he  is 
slightly  inferior  in  nose  to  his  flat-coated  cousin,  and  not  quite 
so  easy  to  break,  but  there  are  many  keepers  and  handlers 
who  have  discovered  in  individual  specimens  extraordinary 
merit  in  the  field  combined  with  great  endurance.  It  is  not 
certain  that  any  great  improvement  has  been  effected  in  the 
variety  during  recent  years,  but  there  are  particular  dogs  to- 
day who  are  decidedly  better  than  any  that  existed  a  dozen 
years  or  more  ago,  when  such  celebrities  as  True,  Old  Sam, 
King  Koffee,  Ben  Wonder,  Doden  Ben,  Lad  and  Una,  were 
prominent,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  curly  coats 
attained  show  form  in  advance  of  the  flat-coated  variety. 

The  coat  of  the  curly  Retriever  plays  a  very  important 
part  in  his  value  and  personality.  There  are  many  kinds  of 
coat,  but  the  only  true  and  proper  one  is  the  close-fitting 
"  nigger  curl,"  of  which  each  knot  is  solid  and  inseparable. 
A  coat  of  this  quality  is  not  capable  of  improvement  by  any 
method  of  grooming,  for  the  simple  reason  that  its  natural 
condition  is  in  itself  perfect.  The  little  locks  should  be 
so  close  together  as  to  be  impervious  to  water,  and  all  parts 
of  the  body  should  be  evenly  covered  with  them,  including 
the  tail  and  legs.  A  bad  class  of  coat,  and  one  which  readily 
yields  to  the  faker's  art,  is  the  thin  open  curl  which  by  careful 
manipulation  can  be  greatly  improved.  Another  bad  quality 
of  coat  is  one  in  which,  upon  the  withers  and  over  the  loins 
in  particular,  the  curls  do  not  tighten  up  naturally,  but  are 
large,  loose,  and  soft  to  the  feel.  Regarding  the  dog  as  a 


146        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

whole,    the    following    may    be    taken    as    an     all-round 
description : — 

General  Appearance — That  of  a  smart,  active,  clean-cut  and  alert 
dog,  full  of  go  and  fire — a  sportsman  from  stem  to  stern.  Head — Long 
and  not  weedy  in  the  muzzle,  nor  thick  and  coarse  in  the  skull,  but 
tapering  down  and  finishing  with  a  stout  broad  muzzle.  Skull — Should 
be  flat  and  moderately  broad  between  the  ears,  which  are  rather  small, 
and  well  covered  with  hair.  Ears — Should  lie  close  to  the  side  of  the 
head,  but  not  dead  in  their  carriage.  Face — The  face  should  be  smooth, 
and  any  indication  of  a  forelock  should  be  penalised.  Eye — The  eye 
should  in  all  cases  be  dark  and  not  too  deeply  set.  Neck — Well  placed 
in  the  shoulders  and  nicely  arched,  of  moderate  length  and  yet  powerful 
and  free  from  throatiness.  Shoulders — Well  laid  back  and  as  free  from 
massiveness  as  possible,  though  there  is  a  decided  tendency  in  this 
variety  to  such  a  fault.  Legs — Straight  and  well  covered  with  coat. 
The  bone  should  show  quality  and  yet  be  fairly  abundant.  Feet — 
Compact  and  hound-like.  Body — Should  show  great  power,  with  deep, 
well-rounded  ribs.  As  little  cut-up  in  the  flank  as  possible.  Tail — 
Strong  at  the  base,  set  on  in  a  line  with  the  back  and  tapering  to  a 
point,  the  size  of  the  curls  upon  it  diminishing  gradually  to  the  end. 
Hind-quarters — Should  show  great  development  of  muscle,  with  bent 
hocks,  the  lower  leg  being  strong  and  the  hind  feet  compact.  Any 
suspicion  of  cow  hocks  should  be  heavily  penalised.  Colour — Mostly 
a  dull  black.  Some  liver-coloured  dogs  are  seen  with  very  good  coats 
and  bodies,  but  their  heads  are  generally  thick  and  coarse,  and  the  colour 
of  their  eyes  does  not  always  match,  as  it  should  do,  with  the  colour  of 
the  coat.  A  few  dogs  of  this  colour  have  achieved  distinction  on  the 
show  bench. 

THE   LABRADOR 

Within  recent  years  the  original  smooth-coated  Labrador 
dog  has  taken  its  place  as  a  recognised  variety  of  the  Retriever 
and  become  prominent  both  at  exhibitions  and  as  a  worker. 
It  is  not  probable  that  any  have  been  imported  into  England  for 
the  past  quarter  of  a  century,  but  without  the  assistance  of 
shows  or  imported  blood  they  have  survived  marvellously. 
Thanks  especially  to  the  kennels  of  such  breeders  as  the 
Dukes  of  Buccleuch  and  Hamilton,  the  Earl  of  Verulam, 
Lords  Wimborne,  Home,  and  Malmesbury,  the  Hon.  A. 
Holland  Hibbert,  Sir  Savile  Crossley,  Mr.  F.  P.  Barnett, 
Mr.  C.  Liddell,  Mr.  O.  L.  Mansel,  and  others  equally 
enthusiastic. 

To  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch 's  kennel  we  are  probably  more 
indebted  in  the  last  twenty  years  than  to  any  other.  Its 


THE  RETRIEVERS  147 

foundation  was  laid  in  two  bitches  by  a  dog  of  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton's  from  a  bitch  of  Lord  Malmesbury's.  At  Drum- 
lanrig,  as  well  as  on  the  Duke's  other  estates,  they  have  been 
most  particular  in  preserving  the  purity  and  working  qualities 
of  their  strain.  And  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Hon.  A. 
Holland  Hibbert,  whose  principal  dogs  are  not  only  typical 
in  appearance,  but  broken  to  perfection.  The  Duchess  of 
Hamilton's  kennels  have  been  responsible  for  some  of  the  best 
field  trial  winners  of  the  present  day.  As  far  as  looks  are 
concerned,  one  cannot  say  that  the  Labrador  compares 
favourably  with  either  the  flat  or  the  curly  coated  Retriever, 
but  that  is  immaterial  so  long  as  he  continues  to  work  as  he 
is  doing  at  present. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE   SPORTING   SPANIEL 

I.  THE  SPANIEL  FAMILY. — The  Spaniel  family  is  without 
any  doubt  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  many  groups  which 
are  included  in  the  canine  race,  not  only  on  account  of  its 
undoubted  antiquity,  and,  compared  with  other  families,  its 
well  authenticated  lineage,  but  also  because  of  its  many 
branches  and  subdivisions,  ranging  in  size  from  the  majestic 
and  massive  Clumbers  to  the  diminutive  toys  which  we  are 
accustomed  to  associate  with  fair  ladies'  laps  and  gaily-decked 
pens  at  our  big  dog  shows. 

Moreover,  the  different  varieties  of  Setters  undoubtedly 
derive  their  origin  from  the  same  parent  stock,  since  we  find 
them  described  by  the  earlier  sporting  writers  as  "  setting  " 
or  "  crouching  "  Spaniels,  in  contradistinction  to  the  "  find- 
ing "  or  "  springing  "  Spaniel,  who  flushed  the  game  he 
found  without  setting  or  pointing  it.  As  time  went  on,  the 
setting  variety  was,  no  doubt,  bred  larger  and  longer  in  the 
leg,  with  a  view  to  increased  pace  ;  but  the  Spaniel-like  head 
and  coat  still  remain  to  prove  the  near  connection  between 
the  two  breeds. 

All  the  different  varieties  of  Spaniels,  both  sporting  and 
toy,  have,  with  the  exception  of  the  Clumber  and  the  Irish 
Water  Spaniel  (who  is  not,  despite  his  name,  a  true  Spaniel  at 
all),  a  common  origin,  though  at  a  very  early  date  we  find 
them  divided  into  two  groups — viz.,  Land  and  Water  Spaniels, 
and  these  two  were  kept  distinct,  and  bred  to  develop  those 
points  which  were  most  essential  for  their  different  spheres 
of  work.  The  earliest  mention  of  Spaniels  to  be  found  in 

148 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  149 

English  literature  is  contained  in  the  celebrated  "  Master  of 
Game,"  the  work  of  Edward  Plantagenet,  second  Duke  of 
York,  and  Master  of  Game  to  his  uncle,  Henry  IV.,  to  whom 
the  work  is  dedicated.  It  was  written  between  the  years 
1406  and  1413,  and  although  none  of  the  MSS.,  of  which  some 
sixteen  are  in  existence,  is  dated,  this  date  can  be  fairly 
accurately  fixed,  as  the  author  was  appointed  Master  of  Game 
in  the  former  and  killed  at  Agincourt  in  the  latter  year.  His 
chapter  on  Spaniels,  however,  is  mainly  a  translation  from  the 
equally  celebrated  "  Livre  de  Chasse,"  of  Gaston  Comte  de 
Foix,  generally  known  as  Gaston  Phoebus,  which  was  written 
in  1387,  so  that  we  may  safely  assume  that  Spaniels  were  well 
known,  and  habitually  used  as  aids  to  the  chase  both  in  France 
and  England,  as  early  as  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century. 

In  the  eighteenth  and  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century 
the  Spaniel  was  described  by  many  writers  on  sporting  subjects ; 
but  there  is  a  great  similarity  in  most  of  these  accounts,  each 
author  apparently  having  been  content  to  repeat  in  almost 
identical  language  what  had  been  said  upon  the  subject 
by  his  predecessors,  without  importing  any  originality  or 
opinions  of  his  own.  Many  of  these  works,  notwithstanding 
this  defect,  are  very  interesting  to  the  student  of  Spaniel 
lore,  and  the  perusal  of  Elaine's  Rural  Sports,  Taplin's  Sport- 
ing  Dictionary  and  Rural  Repository,  Scott's  Sportsman's 
Repository,  and  Needham's  Complete  Sportsman,  can  be 
recommended  to  all  who  wish  to  study  the  history  of  the 
development  of  the  various  modern  breeds.  The  works 
of  the  French  writers,  De  Cominck,  De  Cherville,  Blaze,  and 
Me'gnin,  are  well  worth  reading,  while  of  late  years  the  subject 
has  been  treated  very  fully  by  such  British  writers  as  the  late 
J.  H.  Walsh  ("  Stonehenge  "),  Mr.  Vero  Shaw,  Mr.  Rawdon 
Lee,  Colonel  Claude  Cane,  and  Mr.  C.  A.  Phillips. 

Nearly  all  of  the  early  writers,  both  French  and  English, 
are  agreed  that  the  breed  came  originally  from  Spain,  and  we 
may  assume  that  such  early  authorities  as  Gaston  Phoebus, 
Edward  Plantagenet,  and  Dr.  Caius  had  good  reasons  for 


150        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

telling  us  that  these  dogs  were  called  Spaniels  because  they 
came  from  Spain. 

The  following  distinct  breeds  or  varieties  are  recognised  by 
the  Kennel  Club:  (i)  Irish  Water  Spaniels;  (2)  Water 
Spaniels  other  than  Irish  ;  (3)  Clumber  Spaniels  ;  (4)  Sussex 
Spaniels ;  (5)  Field  Spaniels  ;  (6)  English  Springers ;  (7) 
Welsh  Springers ;  (8)  Cocker  Spaniels.  Each  of  these 
varieties  differs  considerably  from  the  others,  and  each  has 
its  own  special  advocates  and  admirers,  as  well  as  its  own 
particular  sphere  of  work  for  which  it  is  best  fitted,  though 
almost  any  Spaniel  can  be  made  into  a  general  utility  dog, 
which  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  the  popularity 
of  the  breed. 

II.  THE  IRISH  WATER  SPANIEL. — There  is  only  one  breed 
of  dog  known  in  these  days  by  the  name  of  Irish  Water  Spaniel, 
but  if  we  are  to  trust  the  writers  of  no  longer  ago  than  half 
a  century  there  were  at  one  time  two,  if  not  three,  breeds  of 
Water  Spaniels  peculiar  to  the  Emerald  Isle.  These  were  the 
Tweed  Water  Spaniel,  the  Northern  Water  Spaniel,  and  the 
Southern  Water  Spaniel,  the  last  of  these  being  the  progenitors 
of  our  modern  strains. 

The  history  of  the  Irish  Water  Spaniel  is  in  many  ways  a 
very  extraordinary  one.  According  to  the  claim  of  Mr. 
Justin  McCarthy,  it  originated  entirely  in  his  kennels,  and 
this  claim  has  never  been  seriously  disputed  by  the  subsequent 
owners  and  breeders  of  these  dogs.  It  seems  improbable  that 
Mr.  Justin  McCarthy  can  actually  have  originated  or  manu- 
factured a  breed  possessing  so  many  extremely  marked 
differences  and  divergences  of  type  as  the  Irish  Water  Spaniel  ; 
but  what  he  probably  did  was  to  rescue  an  old  and  moribund 
breed  from  impending  extinction,  and  so  improve  it  by 
judicious  breeding,  and  cross-breeding  as  to  give  it  a  new 
lease  of  life,  and  permanently  fix  its  salient  points  and  charac- 
teristics. However  that  may  be,  little  seems  to  have  been 
known  of  the  breed  before  he  took  it  in  hand,  and  it  is  very 
certain  that  nearly  every  Irish  Water  Spaniel  seen  for  the  last 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  151 

half  century  owes  its  descent  to  his  old  dog  Boatswain,  who 
was  born  in  1834  and  lived  for  eighteen  years.  He  must  have 
been  a  grand  old  dog,  since  Mr.  McCarthy  gave  him  to  Mr. 
Joliffe  Tufmell  in  1849,  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old  ;  and  his 
new  owner  subsequently  bred  by  him  Jack,  a  dog  whose 
name  appears  in  many  pedigrees. 

It  was  not  until  1862  that  the  breed  seems  to  have  attracted 
much  notice  in  England,  but  in  that  year  the  Birmingham 
Committee  gave  two  classes  for  them,  in  which,  however, 
several  of  the  prizes  were  withheld  for  want  of  merit ;  the  next 
few  years  saw  these  dogs  making  great  strides  in  popularity 
and,  classes  being  provided  at  most  of  the  important  shows, 
many  good  specimens  were  exhibited. 

During  the  last  few  years,  however,  the  breed  seems  to  have 
been  progressing  the  wrong  way,  and  classes  at  shows  have 
not  been  nearly  so  strong,  either  in  numbers  or  in  quality,  as 
they  used  to  be.  Yet  there  have  been,  and  are  still,  quite  a 
large  number  of  good  dogs  and  bitches  to  be  seen,  and  it 
only  needs  enthusiasm  and  co-operation  among  breeders 
to  bring  back  the  palmiest  days  of  the  Irish  Water 
Spaniel. 

There  is  no  member  of  the  whole  canine  family  which  has  a 
more  distinctive  personal  appearance  than  the  Irish  Water 
Spaniel.  With  him  it  is  a  case  of  once  seen  never  forgotten, 
and  no  one  who  has  ever  seen  one  could  possibly  mistake  him 
for  anything  else  than  what  he  is.  His  best  friends  probably 
would  not  claim  beauty,  in  the  aesthetic  sense,  for  him  ; 
but  he  is  attractive  in  a  quaint  way  peculiarly  his  own, 
and  intelligent-looking.  In  this  particular  his  looks  do  not 
bewray  him  ;  he  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  all 
the  dogs  used  in  aid  of  the  gun,  and  in  his  own  sphere  one 
of  the  most  useful.  That  sphere,  there  is  no  doubt,  is  that 
indicated  by  his  name,  and  it  is  in  a  country  of  bogs  and 
marshes,  like  the  south  and  west  of  Ireland,  of  which  he  was 
originally  a  native,  where  snipe  and  wildfowl  provide  the 
staple  sport  of  the  gunner,  that  he  is  in  his  element  and 


152        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

seen  at  his  best,  though,  no  doubt,  he  can  do  excellent  work 
as  an  ordinary  retriever,  and  is  often  used  as  such. 

But  Nature  (or  Mr.  McCarthy's  art)  has  specially  formed  and 
endowed  him  for  the  amphibious  sport  indicated  above,  and 
has  provided  him  with  an  excellent  nose,  an  almost  water- 
proof coat,  the  sporting  instincts  of  a  true  son  of  Erin,  and, 
above  all,  a  disposition  full  of  good  sense  ;  he  is  high-couraged, 
and  at  the  same  time  adaptable  to  the  highest  degree  of  per- 
fection in  training.  His  detractors  often  accuse  him  of 
being  hard-mouthed,  but  this  charge  is  not  well  founded. 
Many  a  dog  which  is  used  to  hunt  or  find  game  as  well  as  to 
retrieve  it,  will  often  kill  a  wounded  bird  or  rabbit  rather 
than  allow  it  to  escape,  while  there  are  many  Irish  Water 
Spaniels  who,  under  normal  circumstances,  are  just  as  tender- 
mouthed  as  the  most  fashionable  of  black  Retrievers.  Be- 
sides his  virtues  in  the  field,  the  Irish  Water  Spaniel  has 
the  reputation — a  very  well-founded  one — of  being  the  best 
of  pals. 

Most  people  are  well  acquainted  with  the  personal  appear- 
ance of  this  quaint-looking  dog.  The  points  regarded  as 
essential  are  as  follows  : — 

Colour — The  colour  should  always  be  a  rich  dark  liver  or  puce  without 
any  white  at  all.  Any  white  except  the  slightest  of  "  shirt  fronts  " 
should  disqualify.  The  nose  of  course  should  conform  to  the  coat  in 
colour,  and  be  dark  brown.  Head — The  head  should  have  a  capacious 
skull,  fairly  but  not  excessively  domed,  with  plenty  of  brain  room. 
It  should  be  surmounted  with  a  regular  topknot  of  curly  hair,  a  most 
important  and  distinctive  point.  This  topknot  should  never  be  square 
cut  or  like  a  poodle's  wig,  but  should  grow  down  to  a  well  defined  point 
between  the  eyes.  Eyes — The  eyes  should  be  small,  dark,  and  set 
obliquely,  like  a  Chinaman's.  Ears — The  ears  should  be  long,  strong 
in  leather,  low  set,  heavily  ringleted,  and  from  18  to  24  inches  long, 
according  to  size.  Muzzle  and  Jaw — The  muzzle  and  jaw  should  be 
long  and  strong.  There  should  be  a  decided  "  stop,"  but  not  so  pro- 
nounced as  to  make  the  brows  or  forehead  prominent.  Neck — The  neck 
should  be  fairly  long  and  very  muscular.  Shoulders — The  shoulders 
should  be  sloping.  Most  Irish  Water  Spaniels  have  bad,  straight 
shoulders,  a  defect  which  should  be  bred  out.  Chest — The  chest  is 
deep,  and  usually  rather  narrow,  but  should  not  be  so  narrow  as  to 
constrict  the  heart  and  lungs.  Back  and  Loins — The  back  and  loins 
strong  and  arched.  Fore-legs — The  fore-legs  straight  and  well  boned. 
Heavily  feathered  or  ringleted  all  over.  Hind-legs — The  hind-legs 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  153 

with  hocks  set  very  low,  stifles  rather  straight,  feathered  all  over, 
except  inside  from  the  hocks  down,  which  part  should  be  covered  with 
short  hair  (a  most  distinctive  point).  Feet — The  feet  large  and  rather 
spreading  as  is  proper  for  a  water  dog,  well  clothed  with  hair.  Stern — 
The  stern  covered  with  the  shortest  of  hair,  except  for  the  first  couple 
of  inches  next  the  buttocks,  whiplike  or  stinglike  (a  most  important 
point),  and  carried  low,  not  like  a  hound's.  Coat — The  coat  composed 
entirely  of  short  crisp  curls,  not  woolly  like  a  Poodle's,  and  very  dense. 
If  left  to  itself,  this  coat  mats  or  cords,  but  this  is  not  permissible  in 
show  dogs.  The  hair  on  the  muzzle  and  forehead  below  the  topknot 
is  quite  short  and  smooth,  as  well  as  that  on  the  stern.  General 
Appearance — Is  not  remarkable  for  symmetry,  but  is  quaint  and 
intelligent  looking.  Height — The  height  should  be  between  21  and 
23  inches. 

III.  THE  ENGLISH  WATER  SPANIEL.-— In  the  Kennel  Club's 
Register  of  Breeds  no  place  is  allotted  to  this  variety,  all 
Water  Spaniels  other  than  Irish  being  classed  together. 
Despite  this  absence  of  official  recognition  there  is  abundant 
evidence  that  a  breed  of  Spaniels  legitimately  entitled  to  the 
designation  of  English  Water  Spaniels  has  been  in  existence 
for  many  years,  in  all  probability  a  descendant  of  the  old 
"  Water-Dogge,"  "an  animal  closely  resembling  the  French 
"  Barbet,"  the  ancestor  of  the  modern  Poodle.  They  were 
even  trimmed  at  times  much  in  the  same  way  as  a  Poodle  is 
nowadays,  as  Markham  gives  precise  directions  for  "  the 
cutting  or  shearing  him  from  the  nauill  downeward  or  backe- 
ward."  The  opinion  expressed  by  the  writer  of  The  Sports- 
man's Cabinet,  1803,  is  that  the  breed  originated  from  a  cross 
between  the  large  water  dog  and  the  Springing  Spaniel,  and 
this  is  probably  correct,  though  Youatt,  a  notable  authority, 
thinks  that  the  cross  was  with  an  English  Setter.  Possibly 
some  strains  may  have  been  established  in  this  way,  and  not 
differ  very  much  in  make  and  shape  from  those  obtained  from 
the  cross  with  the  Spaniel,  as  it  is  well  known  that  Setters  and 
Spaniels  have  a  common  origin. 

In  general  appearance  the  dog  resembles  somewhat  closely 
the  Springer,  except  that  he  may  be  somewhat  higher  on  the 
leg,  and  that  his  coat  should  consist  of  crisp,  tight  curls, 
almost  like  Astrakhan  fur,  everywhere  except  on  his  face, 


154        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

where  it  should  be  short.  There  should  be  no  topknot 
like  that  of  the  Irish  Water  Spaniel. 

IV.  THE  CLUMBER  SPANIEL  is  in  high  favour  in  the 
Spaniel  world,  both  with  shooting  men  and  exhibitors,  and 
the  breed  well  deserves  from  both  points  of  view  the  position 
which  it  occupies  in  the  public  esteem.  No  other  variety 
is  better  equipped  mentally  and  physically  for  the  work  it  is 
called  upon  to  do  in  aid  of  the  gun  ;  and  few,  certainly  none 
of  the  Spaniels,  surpass  or  even  equal  it  in  appearance. 

As  a  sporting  dog,  the  Clumber  is  possessed  of  the  very 
best  of  noses,  a  natural  inclination  both  to  hunt  his  game  and 
retrieve  it  when  killed,  great  keenness  and  perseverance 
wonderful  endurance  and  activity  considering  his  massive 
build,  and  as  a  rule  is  very  easy  to  train,  being  highly  in- 
telligent and  more  docile  and  "  biddable."  The  man  who 
owns  a  good  dog  of  this  breed,  whether  he  uses  it  as  a  re- 
triever for  driven  birds,  works  it  in  a  team,  or  uses  it  as  his 
sole  companion  when  he  goes  gunning,  possesses  a  treasure. 
The  great  success  of  these  Spaniels  in  the  Field  Trials  pro- 
moted by  both  the  societies  which  foster  those  most  useful 
institutions  is  enough  to  prove  this,  and  more  convincing 
still  is  the  tenacity  with  which  the  fortunate  possessors  of 
old  strains,  mostly  residents  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood 
of  the  original  home  of  the  breed,  have  held  on  to  them  and 
continued  to  breed  and  use  them  year  after  year  for  many 
generations. 

As  a  show  dog,  his  massive  frame,  powerful  limbs,  pure 
white  coat,  with  its  pale  lemon  markings  and  frecklings,  and, 
above  all,  his  solemn  and  majestic  aspect,  mark  him  out  as  a 
true  aristocrat,  with  all  the  beauty  of  refinement  which  comes 
from  a  long  line  of  cultured  ancestors. 

All  research  so  far  has  failed  to  cany  their  history 
back  any  further  than  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  About  that  time  the  Due  de  Noailles  pre- 
sented some  Spaniels,  probably  his  whole  kennel,  which 
he  brought  from  France,  to  the  second  Duke  of  Newcastle, 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  155 

from  whose  place,  Clumber  Park,  the  breed  has  taken  its  name. 
Beyond  this  it  seems  impossible  to  go  :  indeed,  the  Clumber 
seems  to  be  generally  looked  upon  as  a  purely  English  breed. 

From  Clumber  Park  specimens  found  their  way  to  most  of 
the  other  great  houses  in  the  neighbourhood,  notably  to 
Althorp  Park,  Welbeck  Abbey,  Birdsall  House,  Thoresby 
Hall,  and  Osberton  Hall.  It  is  from  the  kennels  at  the  last- 
named  place,  owned  by  Mr.  Foljambe,  that  most  of  the  pro- 
genitors of  the  Clumbers  which  have  earned  notoriety  derived 
their  origin.  Nearly  all  the  most  famous  show  winners 
of  early  days  were  descended  from  Mr.  Foljambe 's  dogs,  and 
his  Beau  may  perhaps  be  considered  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant "  pillars  of  the  stud,"  as  he  was  the  sire  of  Nabob, 
a  great  prize-winner,  and  considered  one  of  the  best  of  his 
day,  who  belonged  at  various  times  during  his  career  to  such 
famous  showmen  as  Messrs.  Phineas  Bullock,  Mr.  Fletcher, 
Mr.  Rawdon  Lee,  and  Mr.  G.  Oliver. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  lamentation  lately  among 
old  breeders  and  exhibitors  about  the  decadence  of  the  breed 
and  the  loss  of  the  true  old  type  possessed  by  these  dogs. 
But,  despite  all  they  can  say  to  the  contrary,  the  Clumber 
is  now  in  a  more  flourishing  state  than  it  ever  has  been  ; 
and  although  perhaps  we  have  not  now,  nor  have  had  for  the 
last  decade,  a  John  o'  Gaunt  or  a  Tower,  there  have  been  a 
large  number  of  dogs  shown  during  that  time  who  possessed 
considerable  merit  and  would  probably  have  held  their 
own  even  in  the  days  of  these  bygone  heroes.  Some  of  the 
most  notable  have  been  Baillie  Friar,  Beechgrove  Donally, 
Goring  of  Auchentorlie,  Hempstead  Toby,  and  Preston  Shot, 
who  all  earned  the  coveted  title  of  Champion. 

The  Field  Trials  have,  no  doubt,  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
the  largely  augmented  popularity  of  the  breed  and  the  great 
increase  in  the  number  of  those  who  own  Clumbers.  For  the 
first  two  or  three  years  after  these  were  truly  established  no 
other  breed  seemed  to  have  a  chance  with  them  ;  and  even 
now,  though  both  English  and  Welsh  Springers  have  done 


156        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

remarkably  well,  they  more  than  hold  their  own.  The  most 
distinguished  performer  by  far  was  Mr.  Winton  Smith's 
Beechgrove  Bee,  a  bitch  whose  work  was  practically  faultless, 
and  the  first  Field  Thai  Champion  among  Spaniels.  Other 
food  Cumbers  who  earned  distinction  in  the  field  were 
Beechgrove  Minette.  Beechgrove  Maud,  the  Duke  of  Port- 
land's Wdbeck  Sambo,  and  Mr.  Phillips'  Rivington  Ho:. 
Rivington  Pearl,  and  Rivington  Reel. 

The  points  and  general  description  of  the  breed  as  published 
by  both  the  Spaniel  Club  and  the  Clumber  Spaniel  Gub  99% 
identical.  They  are  as  follows: — 

H«atf— Large,  square  and  massive,  of  medium  length,  broad  on 
with  a  decided  occiput ;  heavy  brows  with  a  deep  stop  ;  heavy : 
muule,  with  well  developed  flew.  Eyoi — Dark  amber ; 
A  light  or  prominent  eye  objectionable.  Ear*— Large,  vine  leaf  i 
nnd  well  covered  with  straight  hair  and  hanging  slightly  forward,  the 
feather  not  to  extend  below  the  leather.  Nook— Very  thick  and 
powerful,  and  well  feathered  underneath.  Body  (Including  size  and 
symmetry) — Long  and  heavy,  and  near  the  ground.  Weight  of  dofli 
about  55  Ib.  to  65  Ib. ;  bitches  about  45  Ib.  to  55  Ib. 
and  flesh  coloured.  Shoulders  and  Chest— \Mde  and  deep  : 
strong  and  muscular.  Back  and  Loti  Dick  straight,  broad  and 
loin  powerful,  well  let  down  in  flank.  Hind  quartan  Very 
and  well  developed.  Stern — Set  low,  well  feathered,  and  carried  about 
level  with  the  back.  Ftet  and  Legs — Feet  large  and  round,  well  covered 
with  hair:  legs  short,  thick  and  strong;  hocks  low.  Goal — Loag. 
abundant,  soft  and  straight.  Colour— Plain  white  with  lemon  raarkinft ; 
orange  permissible  but  not  desirable ;  slight  head  markings  with  white 
body  preferred.  Central  Appearance — Should  be  that  of  a  long,  low, 
heavy,  very  massive  dog,  with  a  thoughtful  expression. 

V.  THE  SUSSEX  SPANIEL,— -This  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  the 
distinct  breeds  of  Land  Spaniels  now  existing  in  the  British 
Islands,  and  probably  also  the  purest  in  point  of  descent, 
since  it  has  for  many  years  past  been  eonnned  to  a  compara- 
tively small  number  of  kennels,  the  owners  of  which  have 
always  been  at  considerable  pains  to  keep  their  strains  free 
from  any  admixture  of  foreign  blood. 

The  modern  race  of  Sussex  Spaniels,  as  we  know  it,  owes  its 
origin  in  the  main  to  the  kennel  kept  by  Mr.  Fuller  at  Rosehill 
Park,  Brightling,  near  Hastings.  This  gentleman,  who 
died  in  1847,  is  said  to  have  kept  his  strain  for  fifty  years  or 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  157 

more,  and  to  have  shot  over  them  almost  daily  during  the 
season,  but  at  his  death  they  were  dispersed  by  auction,  and 
none  of  them  can  be  traced  with  any  accuracy  except  a  dog 
and  a  bitch  which  were  given  at  the  time  to  Relf,  the  head 
keeper.  Relf  survived  his  master  for  forty  years,  and  kept 
up  his  interest  in  the  breed  to  the  last.  He  used  to  say  that 
the  golden  tinge  peculiar  to  the  Rosehill  breed  came  from  a 
bitch  which  had  been  mated  with  a  dog  belonging  to  Dr. 
Watts,  of  Battle,  and  that  every  now  and  then  what  he 
termed  a  <4  sandy  "  pup  would  turn  up  in  her  litters.  Owing 
to  an  outbreak  of  dumb  madness  in  the  Rosehill  kennels,  a 
very  large  number  of  its  occupants  either  died  or  had  to  be 
destroyed,  and  this  no  doubt  accounted  for  the  extreme 
scarcity  of  the  breed  when  several  enthusiasts  began  to  revive 
it  about  the  year  1870.  Mr.  Saxby  and  Mr.  Marchant  are 
said  to  have  had  the  same  strain  as  that  at  Rosehill,  and 
certainly  one  of  the  most  famous  sires  who  is  to  be  found 
in  most  Sussex  pedigrees  was  Buckingham,  by  Marchant 's 
Rover  out  of  Saxby's  Fan. 

It  was  from  the  union  of  Buckingham,  who  was 
claimed  to  be  pure  Rosehill — with  Bebb's  daughter 
Peggie  that  the  great  Bachelor  resulted — a  dog  whose  name  is 
to  be  found  in  almost  every  latter-day  pedigree,  though  Mr. 
Campbell  Newington's  strain,  to  which  has  descended  the 
historic  prefix  "  Rosehill,"  contains  less  of  this  blood  than  any 
other. 

About  1879  Mr.  T.  Jacobs,  of  Newton  Abbot,  took  up  this 
breed  with  great  success,  owning,  amongst  other  good  speci- 
mens, Russett,  Dolly,  Brunette,  and  Bachelor  III.,  the  latter 
a  dog  whose  services  at  the  stud  cannot  be  estimated  too 
highly.  When  this  kennel  was  broken  up  in  1891.  the  best 
of  the  Sussex  Spaniels  were  acquired  by  Mr.  Woolland,  and 
from  that  date  this  gentleman's  kennel  carried  all  before  it 
until  it  in  turn  was  broken  up  and  dispersed  in  1905.  So 
successful  was  Mr.  Woolland  that  one  may  almost  say  that  he 
beat  all  other  competitors  off  the  field,  though  one  of  them. 


158        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Mr.  Campbell  Newington,  stuck  most  gallantly  to  him  all 
through. 

Mr.  Campbell  Newington  has  been  breeding  Sussex  Spaniels 
lor  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  with  an  enthusiasm 
and  tenacity  worthy  of  the  warmest  admiration,  and  his 
strain  is  probably  the  purest,  and  more  full  of  the  original 
blood  than  any  other.  His  kennel  has  always  maintained  a 
very  high  standard  of  excellence,  and  many  famous  show 
specimens  have  come  from  it,  notably  Rosehill  Ruler  II.  (a 
splendid  Sussex,  scarcely  inferior  to  Bridford  Giddie),  Romu- 
lus, Roein,  Rita,  Rush,  Rock,  Rag,  and  Ranji,  and  many 
others  of  almost  equal  merit. 

Colonel  Claude  Cane's  kennel  of  Sussex,  started  from  a 
41  Woolland-bred "  foundation,  has  been  going  for  some 
seventeen  years,  the  best  he  has  shown  being  Jonathan 
Swift,  Celbridge  Eldorado,  and  Celbridge  Chrysolite. 

The  breed  has  always  had  a  good  character  for  work,  and 
most  of  the  older  writers  who  mention  them  speak  of  Sussex 
Spaniels  in  very  eulogistic  terms.  They  are  rather  slow 
workers,  but  thoroughly  conscientious  and  painstaking, 
and  are  not  afraid  of  any  amount  of  thick  covert,  through 
which  they  will  force  their  way,  and  seldom  leave  anything 
behind  them. 

A  well-bred  Sussex  Spaniel  is  a  very  handsome  dog.  Indeed, 
his  beautiful  colour  alone  is  enough  to  make  his  appearance  an 
attractive  one,  even  if  he  were  unsymmetrical  and  ungainly  in 
his  proportions 

This  colour,  known  as  golden  liver,  is  peculiar  to  the  breed, 
and  is  the  great  touchstone  and  hall-mark  of  purity  of  blood. 
No  other  dog  has  exactly  the  same  shade  of  coat,  which  the 
word  "  liver  "  hardly  describes  exactly,  as  it  is  totally  dif- 
ferent from  the  ordinary  liver  colour  of  an  Irishman,  a  Pointer, 
or  even  a  liver  Field  Spaniel.  It  is  rather  a  golden  chestnut 
with  a  regular  metallic  sheen  as  of  burnished  metal,  showing 
more  especially  on  the  head  and  face  and  everywhere  where 
the  hair  is  short.  This  is  very  apparent  when  a  dog  gets 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  159 

his  new  coat.  In  time,  of  course,  it  is  liable  to  get  somewhat 
bleached  by  sun  and  weather,  when  it  turns  almost  yellow. 
Every  expert  knows  this  colour  well,  and  looks  for  it  at  once 
when  judging  a  class  of  Sussex. 

The  description  of  the  breed  given  by  the  Spaniel  Club  is 
as  follows : — 

Head — The  skull  should  be  moderately  long,  and  also  wide,  with  an 
indentation  in  the  middle,  and  a  full  stop,  brows  fairly  heavy  ;  occiput 
full,  but  not  pointed,  the  whole  giving  an  appearance  of  heaviness 
without  dulness.  Eyes — Hazel  colour,  fairly  large,  soft  and  languishing, 
not  showing  the  haw  overmuch.  Nose — The  muzzle  should  be  about 
three  inches  long,  square,  and  the  lips  somewhat  pendulous.  The 
nostrils  well  developed  and  liver  colour.  Ears — Thick,  fairly  large, 
and  lobe  shaped  ;  set  moderately  low,  but  relatively  not  so  low  as  in  the 
Black  Field  Spaniel ;  carried  close  to  the  head,  and  furnished  with 
soft  wavy  hair.  Neck — Is  rather  short,  strong,  and  slightly  arched, 
but  not  carrying  the  head  much  above  the  level  of  the  back.  There 
should  not  be  much  throatiness  in  the  skin,  but  well  marked  frill  in  the 
coat.  Chest  and  Shoulders — The  chest  is  round,  especially  behind  the 
shoulders,  deep  and  wide,  giving  a  good  girth.  The  shoulders  should 
be  oblique.  Back  and  Back  Ribs — The  back  and  loin  are  long,  and 
should  be  very  muscular,  both  in  width  and  depth  ;  for  this  develop- 
ment the  back  ribs  must  be  deep.  The  whole  body  is  characterised  as 
.low,  long,  level,  and  strong.  Legs  and  Feet — The  arms  and  thighs  must 
be  bony,  as  well  as  muscular,  knees  and  hocks  large  and  strong,  pasterns 
very  short  and  bony,  feet  large  and  round,  and  with  short  hair  between 
the  toes.  The  legs  should  be  very  short  and  strong,  with  great  bone, 
and  may  show  a  slight  bend  in  the  forearm,  and  be  moderately  well 
feathered.  The  hind-legs  should  not  be  apparently  shorter  than  the 
fore-legs,  or  be  too  much  bent  at  the  hocks,  so  as  to  give  a  Settery 
appearance  which  is  so  objectionable.  The  hind-legs  should  be  well 
feathered  above  the  hocks,  but  should  not  have  much  hair  below  that 
point.  The  hocks  should  be  short  and  wide  apart.  Tail — Should  be 
docked  from  five  to  seven  inches,  set  low,  and  not  carried  above  the 
level  of  the  back,  thickly  clothed  with  moderately  long  feather.  Coat — 
Body  coat  abundant,  flat  or  slightly  waved,  with  no  tendency  to  curl, 
moderately  well  feathered  on  legs  and  stern,  but  clean  below  the  hocks. 
Colour — Rich  golden  liver  ;  this  is  a  certain  sign  of  the  purity  of  the 
breed,  dark  liver  or  puce  denoting  unmistakably  a  recent  cross  with  the 
black  or  other  variety  of  Field  Spaniel.  General  Appearance — Rather 
massive  and  muscular,  but  with  free  movements  and  nice  tail  action 
denoting  a  tractable  and  cheerful  disposition.  Weight  from  35  Ib.  to 
45  Ib. 

VI.  THE  FIELD  SPANIEL.— The  modern  Field  Spaniel  may 
be  divided  into  two  classes.  Indeed,  we  may  almost  say  at 
this  stage  of  canine  history,  two  breeds,  as  for  several  years 


160        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

past  there  has  not  been  very  much  intermingling  of  blood 
between  the  Blacks  and  those  known  by  the  awkward  designa- 
tion of  "  Any  Other  Variety,"  though,  of  course,  all  came 
originally  from  the  same  parent  stock. 

The  black  members  of  the  family  have  always  been  given 
the  pride  of  place,  and  accounted  of  most  importance,  though 
latterly  their  parti-coloured  brethren  seem  to  have  rather 
overtaken  them. 

Among  the  really  old  writers  there  is  one  mention,  and  one 
only,  of  Spaniels  of  a  black  colour.  Arcussia  speaks  of  them, 
and  of  their  being  used  in  connection  with  the  sport  of  hawk- 
ing, but  from  his  time  up  to  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  though  many  colours  are  spoken  of  as  being  appro- 
priate to  the  various  breeds  of  Spaniels,  no  author  mentions 
black. 

The  first  strain  of  blacks  of  which  we  know  much  belonged 
to  Mr.  F.  Burdett,  and  was  obtained  from  a  Mr.  Footman, 
of  Lutterworth,  Leicestershire,  who  was  supposed  to  have 
owned  them  for  some  time.  Mr.  Burdett 's  Bob  and  Frank 
may  be  found  at  the  head  of  very  many  of  the  best  pedigrees. 
At  his  death  most  of  his  Spaniels  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  Jones,  of  Oscott,  and  Mr.  Phineas  Bullock,  of  Bilston,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  most  extraordinarily  successful,  and 
owned  a  kennel  of  Field  Spaniels  which  was  practically  un- 
beatable between  the  dates  of  the  first  Birmingham  Show 
in  1861  and  the  publication  of  the  first  volume  of  the  Kennel 
Club's  Stud  Book  in  1874,  many,  if  not  most,  of  the  dogs  which 
won  for  other  owners  having  been  bred  by  him.  His  Nellie 
and  Bob,  who  won  the  chief  prizes  year  after  year  at  all  the 
leading  shows,  were  probably  the  two  best  specimens  of  their 
day.  Another  most  successful  breeder  was  Mr.  W.  W. 
Boulton,  of  Beverley,  whose  kennel  produced  many  celebrated 
dogs,  including  Beverlac,  said  to  be  the  largest  Field  Spaniel 
ever  exhibited,  and  Rolf,  whose  union  with  Belle  produced 
four  bitches  who  were  destined,  when  mated  with  Nigger,  a 
dog  of  Mr.  Bullock's  breeding,  to  form  the  foundation  of  the 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  161 

equally  if  not  more  famous  kennel  belonging  to  Mr.  T.  Jacobs, 
of  Newton  Abbot. 

It  was  Mr.  Jacobs  who,  by  judiciously  mating  his  Sussex 
sires  Bachelor,  Bachelor  III.,  and  others  with  these  black-bred 
bitches,  established  the  strain  which  in  his  hands  and  in  those 
of  his  successors,  Captain  S.  M.  Thomas  and  Mr.  Moses  Wool- 
land,  carried  all  before  it  for  many  years,  and  is  still  easily  at 
the  top  of  the  tree,  being  the  most  sought  for  and  highly  prized 
of  all  on  account  of  its  "  quality." 

If  Black  Spaniels  are  not  quite  so  popular  at  present  as 
they  were  some  years  ago,  the  fault  lies  with  those  breeders, 
exhibitors,  and  judges  (the  latter  being  most  to  blame)  who 
encouraged  the  absurd  craze  for  excessive  length  of  body  and 
shortness  of  leg  which  not  very  long  ago  threatened  to  trans- 
form the  whole  breed  into  a  race  of  cripples,  and  to  bring  it 
into  contempt  and  derision  among  all  practical  men.  No 
breed  or  variety  of  dog  has  suffered  more  from  the  injudicious 
fads  and  crazes  of  those  showmen  who  are  not  sportsmen 
also.  At  one  time  among  a  certain  class  of  judges,  length 
and  lowness  was  everything,  and  soundness,  activity, 
and  symmetry  simply  did  not  count.  As  happens  to 
all  absurd  crazes  of  this  kind  when  carried  to  exaggera- 
tion, public  opinion  has  proved  too  much  for  it,  but  not 
before  a  great  deal  of  harm  has  been  done  to  a  breed  which 
is  certainly  ornamental,  and  can  be  most  useful  as  well. 
Most  of  the  prize-winners  of  the  present  day  are  sound,  useful 
dogs  capable  of  work,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  judges  will 
combine  to  keep  them  so. 

The  coloured  Field  Spaniel  has  now  almost  invariably  at  the 
principal  shows  special  classes  allotted  to  him,  and  does  not 
have  to  compete  against  his  black  brother,  as  used  to  be  the 
case  in  former  years. 

The  systematic  attempt  to  breed  Spaniels  of  various  colours, 
with  a  groundwork  of  white,  does  not  date  back  much  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  credit 
for  producing  this  variety  may  be  given  to  three  gentlemen, 


162        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Mr.  F.  E.  Schofield,  Dr.  J.  H.  Spurgin,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Robinson. 
In  the  early  days  of  breeding  blacks,  when  the  bitches  were 
mated  either  with  Sussex  or  liver  and  white  Springers  or 
Norfolk  Spaniels,  many  parti-coloured  puppies  necessarily 
occurred,  which  most  breeders  destroyed ;  but  it  occurred  to 
some  of  these  gentlemen  that  a  handsome  and  distinct  variety 
might  be  obtained  by  careful  selection,  and  they  have  certainly 
succeeded  to  a  very  great  extent.  The  most  famous  names 
among  the  early  sires  are  Dr.  Spurgin 's  Alonzo  and  his  son 
Fop,  and  Mr.  Robinson's  Alva  Dash,  from  one  or  other  of 
whom  nearly  all  the  modern  celebrities  derive  their  descent. 

Those  who  have  been,  and  are,  interested  in  promoting 
and  breeding  these  variety  Spaniels  deserve  a  large  amount 
of  credit  for  their  perseverance,  which  has  been  attended 
with  the  greatest  success  so  far  as  producing  colour  goes. 
No  doubt  there  is  a  very  great  fascination  in  breeding  for 
colour,  and  in  doing  so  there  is  no  royal  road  to  success,  which 
can  only  be  attained  by  the  exercise  of  the  greatest  skill  and 
the  nicest  discrimination  in  the  selection  of  breeding  stock. 
At  the  same  time  colour  is  not  everything,  and  type  and 
working  qualities  should  never  be  sacrificed  to  it.  This  has 
too  often  been  done  in  the  case  of  coloured  Field  Spaniels. 
There  are  plenty  of  beautiful  blue  roans,  re*d  roans,  and 
tricolours,  whether  blue  roan  and  tan  or  liver  roan  and  tan, 
but  nearly  all  of  them  are  either  cocktailed,  weak  in  hind- 
quarters, crooked-fronted,  or  houndy-headed,  and  showing  far 
too  much  haw.  In  fact,  in  head  and  front  the  greater  number 
of  the  tricolours  remind  one  of  the  Basset-hound  almost  as 
much  as  they  do  in  colour.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  colour- 
breeders  will  endeavour  to  get  back  the  true  Spaniel  type 
before  it  is  too  late. 

The  points  of  both  black  and  coloured  Field  Spaniels  are 
identical,  bar  colour,  and  here  it  must  be  said  that  black  and 
tan,  liver  and  tan,  and  liver  are  not  considered  true  variety 
colours,  though  of  course  they  have  to  compete  in  those  classes, 
but  rather  sports  from  black.  The  colours  aimed  at  by 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  163 

variety  breeders  have  all  a  ground  colour  of  white,  and  are 
black  and  white,  blue  roan,  liver  and  white,  red  roan,  liver 
white  and  tan,  and  tricolours  or  quadri-colours — i.e.,  blue  or 
red  roan  and  tan,  or  both  combined,  with  tan.  The  Spaniel 
Club  furnishes  the  following  description  of  the  Black  Field 
Spaniel : — 

Head — Should  be  quite  characteristic  of  this  grand  sporting  dog* 
as  that  of  the  Bloodhound  or  the  Bulldog ;  its  very  stamp  and  coun- 
tenance should  at  once  convey  the  conviction  of  high  breeding,  character 
and  nobility  ;  skull  well  developed,  with  a  distinctly  elevated  occipital 
tuberosity,  which,  above  all,  gives  the  character  alluded  to  ;  not  too 
wide  across  muzzle,  long  and  lean,  never  snipy  nor  squarely  cut,  and  in 
profile  curving  gradually  from  nose  to  throat ;  lean  beneath  eyes,  a 
thickness  here  gives  coarseness  to  the  whole  head.  The  great  length 
of  muzzle  gives  surface  for  the  free  development  of  the  olfactory  nerve, 
and  thus  secures  the  highest  possible  scenting  powers.  Eyes — Not  too 
full,  but  not  small,  receding  or  overhung ;  colour  dark  hazel  or  dark 
brown,  or  nearly  black  ;  grave  in  expression,  and  bespeaking  unusual 
docility  and  instinct.  Ears — Set  low  down  as  possible,  which  greatly 
adds  to  the  refinement  and  beauty  of  the  head,  moderately  long  and 
wide,  and  sufficiently  clad  with  nice  Setter-like  feather.  Neck — Very 
strong  and  muscular,  so  as  to  enable  the  dog  to  retrieve  his  game  without 
undue  fatigue  ;  not  too  short,  however.  Body  (including  size  and 
symmetry) — Long  and  very  low,  well  ribbed  up  to  a  good  strong  loin, 
straight  or  slightly  arched,  never  slack  ;  weight  from  about  35  Ibs. 
to  45  Ibs.  Nose — Well  developed,  with  good  open  nostrils,  and 
always  black.  Shoulders  and  Chest — Former  sloping  and  free,  latter 
deep  and  well  developed,  but  not  too  round  and  wide.  Back  and  Loin 
— Very  strong  and  muscular  ;  level  and  long  in  proportion  to  the  height 
of  the  dog.  Hind-quarters — Very  powerful  and  muscular,  wide,  and 
fully  developed.  Stern — Well  set  on,  and  carried  low,  if  possible  below 
the  level  of  the  back,  in  a  perfectly  straight  line,  or  with  a  slight  down- 
ward inclination,  never  elevated  above  the  back,  and  in  action  always 
kept  low,  nicely  fringed,  with  wavy  feather  of  silky  texture.  Feet 
and  Legs — Feet  not  too  small,  and  well  protected  between  the  toes  with 
soft  feather  ;  good  strong  pads.  Legs  straight  and  immensely  boned, 
strong  and  short,  and  nicely  feathered  with  straight  or  waved  Setter-like 
feather,  overmuch  feathering  below  the  hocks  objectionable.  Coat — 
Flat  or  slightly  waved,  and  never  curled.  Sufficiently  dense  to  resist 
the  weather,  and  not  too  short.  Silky  in  texture,  glossy,  and  refined  in 
nature,  with  neither  duffelness  on  the  one  hand  nor  curl  or  wiriness  on 
the  other.  On  chest  under  belly,  and  behind  the  legs,  there  should  be 
abundant  feather,  but  never  too  much,  and  that  of  the  right  sort,  viz., 
Setter-like.  The  tail  and  hind-quarters  should  be  similarly  adorned. 
Colour — Jet  black  throughout,  glossy  and  true.  A  little  white  on  chest* 
though  a  drawback,  not  a  disqualification.  General  Appearance — 
That  of  a  sporting  dog,  capable  of  learning  and  doing  anything  possible 
for  his  inches  and  conformation.  A  grand  combination  of  beauty  and 
utility. 


164        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

VII.  THE  ENGLISH  SPRINGER. — It  is  only  quite  recently 
that  the  Kennel  Club  has  officially  recognised  the  variety  known 
by  the  name  at  the  head  of  this  section.  For  a  long  time  the 
old-fashioned  liver  and  white,  or  black  Spaniels,  longer 
in  the  leg  than  either  Sussex  or  Field  Spaniels,  had  been 
known  as  Norfolk  Spaniels,  and  under  this  title  the  Spaniel 
Club  has  published  a  description  of  them.  There  had,  how- 
ever, been  a  considerable  amount  of  discussion  about  the 
propriety  of  this  name  of  "  Norfolk,"  and  the  weight  of  the 
evidence  adduced  went  to  show  that  as  far  as  any  territorial 
connection  with  the  county  of  that  name  went,  it  was  a  mis- 
nomer, and  that  it  probably  arose  from  the  breed  having  been 
kept  by  one  of  the  Dukes  of  Norfolk,  most  likely  that  one 
quoted  by  Elaine  in  his  Rural  Sports,  who  was  so  jealous  of 
his  strain  that  it  was  only  on  the  expressly  stipulated  condition 
that  they  were  not  to  be  allowed  to  breed  in  the  direct  line 
that  he  would  allow  one  to  leave  his  kennels. 

But,  when  this  old  breed  was  taken  up  by  the  Sporting 
Spaniel  Society,  they  decided  to  drop  the  name  of  "  Norfolk," 
and  to  revert  to  the  old  title  of  "Springer,"  not,  per- 
haps, a  very  happy  choice,  as  all  Spaniels  are,  properly 
speaking,  Springers  in  contradistinction  to  Setters.  The  com- 
plete official  designation  on  the  Kennel  Club's  register  is 
"  English  Springers  other  than  Clumbers,  Sussex,  and  Field," 
a  very  clumsy  name  for  a  breed.  There  is  no  doubt  that  this 
variety  of  Spaniel  retains  more  resemblance  to  the  old  strains 
which  belonged  to  our  forefathers,  before  the  long  and  low 
idea  found  favour  in  the  eyes  of  exhibitors,  and  it  was  certainly 
well  worth  preserving.  The  only  way  nowadays  by  which 
uniformity  of  type  can  be  obtained  is  by  somebody  having 
authority  drawing  up  a  standard  and  scale  of  points  for 
breeders  to  go  by,  and  the  Sporting  Spaniel  Society  are  to  be 
commended  for  having  done  this  for  the  breed  under  notice, 
the  fruit  of  their  action  being  already  apparent  in  the  larger 
and  more  uniform  classes  to  be  seen  at  shows. 

As  the  officially  recognised  life  of  the  breed  has  been  such  a 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  165 

short  one,  there  are  naturally  not  very  many  names  of  note 
among  the  prize-winners.  The  principal  breeders  and  owners 
have  so  far  been  Mr.  W.  Arkwright,  Mr  Harry  Jones,  Sir 
Hugo  FitzHerbert,  Mr.  C.  C.  Bethune  Eversfield,  and  Mr. 
Winton  Smith. 

They  are  undoubtedly  the  right  dogs  for  those  who  want 
Spaniels  to  travel  faster  and  cover  more  ground  than  the  more 
ponderous  and  short-legged  Clumbers,  Sussex,  or  Field 
Spaniels  do,  but  their  work  is  hardly  equal  in  finish  and 
precision  to  that  of  either  of  the  two  former  breeds. 

The  following  revised  description  of  the  English  Springer 
has  been  issued  by  the  Sporting  Spaniel  Society  : — 

Skull — Long  and  slightly  arched  on  top,  fairly  broad,  with  a  stop, 
and  well-developed  temples.  Jaws — Long  and  broad,  not  snipy,  with 
plenty  of  thin  lip.  Eyes — Medium  size,  not  too  full,  but  bright  and 
intelligent,  of  a  rich  brown.  Ears — Of  fair  length,  low  set,  and  lobular 
in  shape.  Neck — Long,  strong,  and  slightly  arched.  Shoulders — 
Long  and  sloping.  Fore-legs — Of  a  moderate  length,  straight,  with 
flat  strong  bone.  Body — Strong,  with  well-sprung  ribs,  good  girth,  and 
chest  deep  and  fairly  broad.  Loin — Rather  long,  strong,  and  slightly 
arched.  Hind-quarters  and  Hind-legs — Very  muscular,  hocks  well  let 
down,  stifles  moderately  bent,  and  not  twisted  inwards  or  outwards. 
Feet — Strong  and  compact.  Stern — Low  carried,  not  above  the  level 
of  the  back,  and  with  a  vibratory  motion.  Coat — Thick  and  smooth 
or  very  slightly  wavy,  it  must  not  be  too  long.  The  feathering  must 
be  only  moderate  on  the  ears,  and  scanty  on  the  legs,  but  continued 
down  to  the  heels.  Colour — Liver  and  white  and  black  and  white 
(with  or  without  tan),  fawn  and  white,  yellow  and  white,  also  roans 
and  self  colours  of  all  these  tints.  The  pied  colours  are  preferable, 
however,  as  more  easily  seen  in  cover.  General  Appearance — An 
active  compact  dog,  upstanding,  but  by  no  means  stilty.  His  height 
at  shoulder  should  about  equal  his  length  from  the  top  of  the  withers 
to  the  root  of  the  tail. 

VIII.  THE  WELSH  SPRINGER.— Like  the  English  Springer, 
the  Welsh  Springer  has  only  very  recently  come  into  existence 
— officially,  that  is  to  say ;  but  his  admirers  claim  for  him 
that  he  has  existed  as  a  separate  breed  for  a  long  time,  though 
not  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  Principality,  where  he  is  referred 
to  as  the  Starter. 

When  his  claims  were  first  put  forward  they  were  vigorously 
contested  by  many  who  could  claim  to  speak  and  write  with 


166        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

authority  upon  the  various  breeds  of  Spaniels  existing  in  these 
islands,  and  it  was  freely  asserted  that  they  were  nothing  but 
crossbreds  between  the  ordinary  Springer  and  probably  a 
Clumber  in  order  to  account  for  the  red  or  orange  markings 
and  the  vine-leaf-shaped  ears.  Even  if  they  are  a  new  breed, 
they  are  a  most  meritorious  one,  both  in  their  appearance, 
which  is  eminently  sporting  and  workmanlike,  and  for  the 
excellence  of  their  work  in  the  field,  which  has  been  amply 
demonstrated  by  the  record  earned  at  the  field  trials  by  Mr. 
A.  T.  Williams  and  others,  but  those  who  have  seen  them  at 
work  have  nothing  but  good  to  say  of  them,  and  for  working 
large  rough  tracts  of  country  in  teams  their  admirers  say  they 
are  unequalled. 

In  appearance  they  are  decidedly  attractive,  rather  more 
lightly  built  than  most  Spaniels,  small  in  size,  indeed  very 
little  larger  than  Cockers,  invariably  white  in  colour,  with 
red  or  orange  markings,  and  possessing  rather  fine  heads  with 
small  Clumber-shaped  ears.  Their  general  appearance  is 
that  of  extremely  smart  and  active  little  dogs. 

The  Welsh  Springer  is  described  by  the  Sporting  Spaniel 
Society  as  follows  : — 

Skull — Fairly  long  and  fairly  broad,  slightly  rounded  with  a  stop  at 
the  eyes.  Jaws — Medium  length,  straight,  fairly  square,  the  nostrils 
well  developed,  and  flesh  coloured  or  dark.  A  short,  chubby  head  is 
objectionable.  Eyes — Hazel  or  dark,  medium  size,  not  prominent,  not 
sunken,  nor  showing  haw.  Ears — Comparatively  small  and  gradually 
narrowing  towards  the  tip,  covered  with  feather  not  longer  than  the 
ear,  set  moderately  low  and  hanging  close  to  the  cheeks.  Neck — Strong, 
muscular,  clean  in  throat.  Shoulders — Long  and  sloping.  Fore-legs 
— Medium  length,  straight,  good  bone,  moderately  feathered.  Body — 
Strong,  fairly  deep,  not  long,  well-sprung  ribs.  Length  of  body  should 
be  proportionate  to  length  of  leg.  Loin — Muscular  and  strong,  slightly 
arched,  well  coupled  up  and  knit  together.  Hind-quarters  and  Hind-legs 
— Strong  ;  hocks  well  let  down  ;  stifles  moderately  bent  (not  twisted 
in  or  out),  not  feathered  below  the  hock  on  the  leg.  Feet — Round,  with 
thick  pads.  Stern — Low,  never  carried  above  the  level  of  the  back, 
feathered,  and  with  a  lively  motion.  Coat — Straight  or  flat,  and  thick. 
Colour — Red  or  orange  and  white.  General  Appearance — Symmetrical, 
compact,  strong,  merry,  active,  not  stilty,  built  for  endurance  and 
activity,  and  about  28  Ib.  and  upwards  in  weight,  but  not  exceeding 
45  Ib. 


I 

THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  167 

IX.  THE  COCKER  SPANIEL. — For  the  last  few  years  the  popu- 
larity of  this  smaller  sized  branch  of  the  Spaniel  tribe  has 
been  steadily  increasing,  and  the  Cocker  classes  at  most  of 
the  best  shows  are  now  remarkable  both  for  the  number  of 
entries  and  the  very  high  standard  of  excellence  to  which 
they  attain. 

A  short  time  ago  black  Cockers  were  decidedly  more  fashion- 
able than  their  parti-coloured  relatives,  but  now  the  reverse  is 
the  case,  and  the  various  roans  and  tricolours  have  overtaken 
and  passed  the  others,  both  in  general  quality  and  in  the  public 
esteem.  The  reason  for  this  popularity  of  the  breed  as  a 
whole  is  not  far  to  seek.  The  affectionate  and  merry  disposi- 
tion of  the  Cocker  and  his  small  size  compared  with  that  of  the 
other  breeds  pre-eminently  fit  him  for  a  companion  in  the  house 
as  well  as  in  the  field,  and  he  ranks  among  his  admirers  quite 
as  many  of  the  fairer  sex  as  he  does  men — a  fact  which  is 
not  without  a  certain  element  of  danger,  since  it  should  never 
be  lost  sight  of  that  the  breed  is  a  sporting  one,  which  should 
on  no  account  be  allowed  to  degenerate  into  a  race  of  mere 
house  companions  or  toys. 

Small-sized  Spaniels,  usually  called  Cockers,  from  their 
being  more  especially  used  in  woodcock  shooting,  have  been 
indigenous  to  Wales  and  Devonshire  for  many  years,  and  it  is 
most  likely  from  one  or  both  of  these  sources  that  the  modern 
type  has  been  evolved.  It  is  probable  too  that  the  type  in 
favour  to-day,  of  a  short  coupled,  rather  "  cobby"  dog, 
fairly  high  on  the  leg,  is  more  like  that  of  these  old-fashioned 
Cockers  than  that  which  obtained  a  decade  or  two  ago, 
when  they  were  scarcely  recognised  as  a  separate  breed,  and 
the  Spaniel  classes  were  usually  divided  into  "  Field  Spaniels 
over  25  Ib."  and  "  Field  Spaniels  under  25  Ib."  In  those  days  a 
large  proportion  of  the  prizes  fell  to  miniature  Field  Spaniels. 
The  breed  was  not  given  official  recognition  on  the  Kennel 
Club's  register  till  1893,  nor  a  section  to  itself  in  the  Stud 
Book  ;  and  up  to  that  date  the  only  real  qualification  a  dog 
required  to  be  enabled  to  compete  as  a  Cocker  was  that  he 


168        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

should  be  under  the  weight  of  25  lb.,  a  limit  arbitrarily  and 
somewhat  irrationally  hxed,  since  in  the  case  of  an  animal 
just  on  the  border-line  he  might  very  well  have  been  a  Cocker 
before  and  a  Field  Spaniel  after  breakfast. 

It  is  not  easy  to  find  authentic  pedigrees  going  back  further 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  but  Mr.  C.  A.  Phillips  can  trace  his 
own  strain  back  to  1860,  and  Mr.  James  Farrow  was  exhibiting 
successfully  thirty-five  years  ago.  The  former  gentleman 
published  the  pedigree  of  his  bitch  Rivington  Dora  for  eighteen 
generations  in  extenso  in  The  Sporting  Spaniel;  while  the 
famous  Obo  strain  of  the  latter  may  be  said  to  have  exercised 
more  influence  than  any  other  on  the  black  variety  both  in 
this  country  and  in  the  United  States. 

It  was  in  1880  that  the  most  famous  of  all  the  "  pillars  " 
of  the  Cocker  stud,  Mr.  James  Farrow's  Obo,  made  his  first 
bow  to  the  public,  he  and  his  litter  sister  Sally  having  been 
born  the  year  before.  He  won  the  highest  honours  that  the 
show  bench  can  give,  and  the  importance  of  his  service  to  the 
breed  both  in  his  owner's  kennel  and  outside  it,  can  scarcely 
be  over-estimated.  Nearly  all  of  the  best  blacks,  and  many  of 
the  best  coloured  Cockers,  are  descended  from  him.  At  this 
period  the  type  mostly  favoured  was  that  of  a  dog  rather 
longer  in  the  body  and  lower  on  the  leg  than  it  is  at  present, 
but  the  Obo  family  marked  a  progressive  step,  and  very 
rightly  kept  on  winning  under  all  the  best  judges  for  many 
years,  their  owner  being  far  too  good  a  judge  himself  ever  to 
exhibit  anything  but  first-class  specimens. 

Meanwhile,  although  the  blacks  were  far  the  most  fashion- 
able— and  it  was  said  that  it  was  hopeless  to  try  to  get  the 
same  quality  in  coloured  specimens — several  enthusiastic 
breeders  for  colour  were  quietly  at  work,  quite  undismayed 
by  the  predilection  shown  by  most  exhibitors  and  judges 
for  the  former  colour.  Among  them  was  Mr.  C.  A.  Phillips, 
whose  two  bitches  from  Mr.  James  Freme,  of  Wepre 
Hall,  Flintshire,  succeeded  in  breeding  from  one  of  them, 
whom  he  named  Rivington  Sloe,  the  celebrated  dog  Rivington 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  169 

Signal,  who,  mated  with  Rivington  Blossom,  produced 
Rivington  Bloom,  who  was  in  turn  the  dam  of  Rivington 
Redcoat.  These  dogs  proved  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  valuable 
to  the  coloured  variety  as  Obo  did  to  the  blacks,  and  formed 
the  foundation  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Porter's  celebrated  Braeside 
strain  which  afterwards  became  so  famous. 

During  the  last  few  years  Mr.  R.  de  Courcy  Peele's  kennel 
has  easily  held  the  pride  of  place  in  this  variety.  Most  readers 
are  no  doubt  familiar  with  the  many  beautiful  Cockers  which 
have  appeared  in  the  show  ring  and  carried  off  so  many  prizes 
under  the  distinguishing  affix  Bowdler.  His  kennel  was  built 
up  on  a  Braeside  foundation,  and  has  contained  at  one  time 
or  other  such  flyers  as  Ben  Bowdler,  Bob  Bowdler,  Rufus 
Bowdler,  Dixon  Bowdler,  Eva  Bowdler,  Mary  Bowdler,  Blue- 
coat  Bowdler,  Susan  Bowdler,  and  others,  and  Ben  and  Bob 
have  also  been,  as  sires,  responsible  for  the  success  of  a  good 
many  dogs  hailing  from  other  kennels.  He  has  also  been 
fairly  successful  with  blacks,  which,  however,  have  usually 
been  purchased  and  not  bred  by  him,  the  two  best  being  Master 
Reuben,  bred  by  Miss  Joan  Godfrey,  and  Jetsam  Bowdler,  a 
bitch  who  has  distinguished  herself  both  in  the  ring  and  in  the 
field. 

Coloured  Cockers  are  certainly  "  booming  "  just  now,  and 
as  a  consequence  the  blacks,  who  are  equally  worthy  of  sup- 
port, are  being  rather  neglected.  Certainly  it  is  the  case  that 
whereas  one  sees  at  most  shows  big  classes  of  the  former  filled 
with  a  good  level  lot  with  hardly  a  bad  specimen  amongst 
them,  the  classes  devoted  to  the  latter,  besides  not  being  so 
well  filled,  are  much  more  uneven,  and  always  contain  a  large 
proportion  of  weeds  and  toys.  A  few  years  ago  the  black 
classes  were  immeasurably  superior  to  the  coloured,  and  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  in  the  near  future  they  will  regain  at  least 
a  position  of  equality  with  them. 

At  the  last  few  Field  Trial  meetings  the  Spaniel  Club  has 
provided  classes  confined  to  Cockers,  which  have  filled  fairly 
well,  and  enabled  the  small  breed  to  demonstrate  that  it  can 


170        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

in  its  way  be  quite  as  useful  as  its  larger  cousins.  A  Cocker 
can  very  often  go  and  work  as  well  where  a  larger  Spaniel 
cannot  even  creep,  and  for  working  really  thick  hedgerows  or 
gorse  has  no  superior.  There  seems  to  be  every  prospect  of  a 
brilliant  future,  and  increased  popularity  for  this  charming 
breed. 

Its  interests  are  looked  after  both  by  the  Spaniel  Club  and 
the  comparatively  newly  formed  Cocker  Spaniel  Club,  and  it 
is  also  quite  as  much  in  favour  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic 
as  it  is  in  the  United  Kingdom.  Indeed,  the  classes  in  America 
and  Canada  compare  very  favourbly  with  our  own. 

The  descriptive  particulars  of  the  breed  are : — 

Head — Not  so  heavy  in  proportion  and  not  so  high  in  occiput  as  in 
the  modern  Field  Spaniel,  with  a  nicely  developed  muzzle  or  jaw  ; 
lean,  but  not  snipy,  and  yet  not  so  square  as  in  the  Clumber  or  Sussex 
varieties,  but  always  exhibiting  a  sufficiently  wide  and  well-developed 
nose.  Forehead  perfectly  smooth,  rising  without  a  too  decided  stop 
from  muzzle  into  a  comparatively  wide  and  rounded,  well-developed 
skull,  with  plenty  of  room  for  brain  power.  Eyes — Full,  but  not  promi- 
nent, hazel  or  brown  coloured,  with  a  general  expression  of  intelligence 
and  gentleness,  though  decidedly  wideawake,  bright  and  merry,  never 
goggled  nor  weak  as  in  the  King  Charles  and  Blenheim  kinds.  Ears — 
Lobular,  set  on  low,  leather  fine  and  not  exceeding  beyond  the  nose, 
well  clothed  with  long  silky  hair,  which  must  be  straight  or  wavy — 
no  positive  curls  or  ringlets.  Neck — Strong  and  muscular,  and  neatly 
set  on  to  fine  sloping  shoulders.  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry)-— 
Not  quite  so  long  and  low  as  in  the  other  breeds  of  Spaniels,  more  com- 
pact and  firmly  knit  together,  giving  the  impression  of  a  concentration 
of  power  and  untiring  activity.  Weight — The  weight  of  a  Cocker 
Spaniel  of  either  sex  should  not  exceed  25  lb.,  or  be  less  than  20  Ib. 
Any  variation  either  way  should  be  penalised.  Nose — Sufficiently 
wide  and  well  developed  to  ensure  the  exquisite  scenting  powers  of  this 
breed.  Shoulders  and  Chest — The  former  sloping  and  fine,  chest  deep 
and  well  developed,  but  not  too  wide  and  round  to  interfere  with  the 
free  action  of  the  fore-legs.  Back  and  Loin — Immensely  strong  and 
compact  in  proportion  to  the  size  and  weight  of  the  dog ;  slightly 
sloping  towards  the  tail.  Hind-quarters — Wide,  well  rounded,  and 
very  muscular,  so  as  to  ensure  untiring  action  and  propelling  power 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances  of  a  long  day,  bad  weather,  rough 
ground,  and  dense  covert.  Stern — That  most  characteristic  of  blue 
blood  in  all  the  Spaniel  family  may,  in  the  lighter  and  more  active 
Cocker,  although  set  low  down,  be  allowed  a  slightly  higher  carriage 
than  in  the  other  breeds,  but  never  cocked  up  over,  but  rather  in  a  line 
with  the  back,  though  the  lower  its  carriage  and  action  the  better, 
and  when  at  work  its  action  should  be  incessant  in  this,  the  brightest 


THE  SPORTING  SPANIEL  17* 

and  merriest  of  the  whole  Spaniel  family.  Feet  and  Legs — The  legs 
should  be  well  boned,  feathered  and  straight,  for  the  tremendous  exer- 
tions expected  from  this  grand  little  sporting  dog,  and  should  be 
sufficiently  short  for  concentrated  power,  but  not  too  short  as  to  inter- 
fere with  its  full  activity.  Feet  firm,  round,  and  cat-like,  not  too  large, 
spreading,  and  loose  jointed.  This  distinct  breed  of  Spaniel  does  not 
follow  exactly  on  the  lines  of  the  larger  Field  Spaniel,  either  in  lengthi- 
ness,  lowness,  or  otherwise,  but  is  shorter  in  the  back,  and  rather  higher 
on  the  legs.  Coat — Flat  or  waved,  and  silky  in  texture,  never  wiry, 
woolly,  or  curly,  with  sufficient  feather  of  the  right  sort,  viz.,  waved 
or  Setter-like,  but  not  too  profuse  and  never  curly.  General  Appear* 
ance — Confirmatory  of  all  indicated  above,  viz.,  a  concentration  of  pure 
blood  and^type,  sagacity,  docility,  good  temper,  affection,  and  activity. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 
THE   BASSET-HOUND 

THE  Basset  was  not  familiarly  known  to  British  sportsmen 
before  1863,  in  which  year  specimens  of  the  breed  were  seen 
at  the  first  exhibition  of  dogs  held  in  Paris,  and  caused  general 
curiosity  and  admiration  among  English  visitors.  In  France, 
however,  this  hound  has  been  used  for  generations,  much  as 
we  use  our  Spaniel,  as  a  finder  of  game  in  covert,  and  it  has 
long  been  a  popular  sporting  dog  in  Russia  and  Germany.  In 
early  times  it  was  chiefly  to  be  found  in  Artois  and  Flanders, 
where  it  is  supposed  to  have  had  its  origin*;  but  the  home  of 
the  better  type  of  Basset  is  now  chiefly  in  La  Vended,  in  which 
department  some  remarkably  fine  strains  have  been  produced. 

There  are  three  main  strains  of  the  French  Basset — the 
Lane,  the  Couteulx,  and  the  Griffon.  The  Griffon  Basset  is  a 
hound  with  a  hard  bristly  coat,  and  short,  crooked  legs.  It 
has  never  found  great  favour  here.  The  Lane  hounds  are 
derived  from  the  kennels  of  M.  Lane,  of  Franqueville,  Baos, 
Seine-InfeYieure,  and  are  also  very  little  appreciated  in  this 
country.  They  are  a  lemon  and  white  variety,  with  torse  or 
bent  legs.  The  Couteulx  hounds  were  a  type  bred  up  into  a 
strain  by  Comte  le  Couteulx  de  Canteleu.  They  were  tri- 
colour, with  straight,  short  legs,  of  sounder  constitution  than 
other  strains,  with  the  make  generally  of  a  more  agile  hound, 
and  in  the  pedigree  of  the  best  Bassets  owned  in  this  country 
fifteen  years  ago,  when  the  breed  was  in  considerable  demand, 
Comte  de  Couteulx 's  strain  was  prominent  and  always  sought 
for. 

With  careful  selection  and  judicious  breeding  we  have  now 

172 


THE  BASSET-HOUND  173 

produced  a  beautiful  hound  of  fine  smooth  coat,  and  a  rich 
admixture  of  markings,  with  a  head  of  noble  character  and  the 
best  of  legs  and  feet.  Their  short,  twinkling  legs  make  our 
Bassets  more  suitable  for  covert  hunting  than  for  hunting 
hares  in  the  open,  to  which  latter  purpose  they  have  frequently 
been  adapted  with  some  success.  Their  note  is  resonant,  with 
wonderful  power  for  so  small  a  dog,  and  in  tone  it  resembles  the 
voice  of  the  Bloodhound. 

The  Basset-hound  is  usually  very  good  tempered  and  not 
inclined  to  be  quarrelsome  with  his  kennel  mates  ;  but  he  is 
wilful,  and  loves  to  roam  apart  in  search  of  game,  and  is  not  very 
amenable  to  discipline  when  alone.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
works  admirably  with  his  companions  in  the  pack,  when  he  is 
most  painstaking  and  indefatigable.  Endowed  with  remark- 
able powers  of  scent,  he  will  hunt  a  drag  with  keen  intelligence. 

There  are  now  several  packs  of  Bassets  kept  in  England,  and 
they  show  very  fair  sport  after  the  hares ;  but  it  is  not  their 
natural  vocation,  and  their  massive  build  is  against  the  possi- 
bility of  their  becoming  popular  as  harriers.  The  general 
custom  is  to  follow  them  on  foot,  although  occasionally  some 
sportsmen  use  ponies.  Their  pace,  however,  hardly  warrants 
the  latter  expedient.  On  the  Continent,  where  big  game  is 
more  common  than  with  us,  the  employment  of  the  Basset  is 
varied.  He  is  a  valuable  help  in  the  tracking  of  boar,  wolf,  and 
deer,  and  he  is  also  frequently  engaged  in  the  lighter  pastimes 
of  pheasant  and  partridge  shooting. 

The  Earl  of  Onslow  and  the  late  Sir  John  Everett  Millais 
were  among  the  earliest  importers  of  the  breed  into  England. 
They  both  had  recourse  to  the  kennels  of  Count  Couteulx. 
Sir  John  Millais'  Model  was  the  first  Basset-hound  exhibited 
at  an  English  dog  show,  at  Wolverhampton  in  1875.  Later 
owners  and  breeders  of  prominence  were  Mr.  G.  Krehl,  Mrs. 
Stokes,  Mrs.  C.  C.  Ellis  and  Mrs.  Mabel  Tottie. 

As  with  most  imported  breeds,  the  Basset-hound  when  first 
exhibited  was  required  to  undergo  a  probationary  period  as  a 
foreign  dog  in  the  variety  class  at  the  principal  shows.  It  was 


174        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

not  until  1880  that  a  class  was  provided  for  it  by  the  Kennel 
Club. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  owners  of  this  beautiful  hound  are 
not  more  numerous.  Admirable  specimens  are  still  to  be  seen 
at  the  leading  exhibitions,  but  the  breed  is  greatly  in  need  of 
encouragement.  At  the  present  time  the  smooth  dog  hound 
taking  the  foremost  place  in  the  estimate  of  our  most  capable 
judges  is  Mr.  W.  W.  M.  White's  Ch.  Loo-Loo-Loo,  bred  by  Mrs. 
Tottie,  by  Ch.  Louis  Le  Beau  out  of  Sibella.  Mr.  Croxton 
Smith's  Waverer  is  also  a  dog  of  remarkably  fine  type.  Among 
bitch  hounds  Sandringham  Dido,  the  favourite  of  Her  Majesty 
the  Queen,  ranks  as  the  most  perfect  of  her  kind. 

The  rough  or  Griffon-Basset,  introduced  into  England  at 
a  later  date  than  the  smooth,  has  failed  for  some  reason 
to  receive  great  attention.  In  type  it  resembles  the  shaggy 
Otterhound,  and  as  at  present  favoured  it  is  larger  and  higher 
on  the  leg  than  the  smooth  variety.  Their  colouring  is  less 
distinct,  and  they  seem  generally  to  be  lemon  and  white, 
grey  and  sandy  red.  Their  note  is  not  so  rich  as  that  of  the 
smooth  variety.  In  France  the  rough  and  the  smooth  Bassets 
are  not  regarded  as  of  the  same  race,  but  here  some  breeders 
have  crossed  the  two  varieties,  with  indifferent  consequences. 

Some  beatuiful  specimens  of  the  rough  Basset  have  from 
time  to  time  been  sent  to  exhibition  from  the  Sandringham 
kennels.  His  Majesty  the  King  has  always  given  affectionate 
attention  to  this  breed,  and  has  taken  several  first  prizes  at 
the  leading  shows,  latterly  with  Sandringham  Bobs,  bred  in 
the  home  kennels  by  Sandringham  Babil  ex  Saracenesca. 

Perhaps  the  most  explicit  description  of  the  perfect  Basset- 
hound  is  still  that  compiled  twenty-five  years  ago  by  Sir  John 
Millais.  It  is  at  least  sufficiently  comprehensive  and  exact  to 
serve  as  a  guide  : — 

"  The  Basset,  for  its  size,  has  more  bone,  perhaps,  than  nearly  any 
other  dog. 

"  The  skull  should  be  peaked  like  that  of  the  Bloodhound,  with  the 
same  dignity  and  expression,  the  nose  black  (although  some  of  my  own 
have  white  about  theirs),  and  well  flewed.  For  the  size  of  the  hound 


THE  BASSET-HOUND  175 

I  think  the  teeth  are  extremely  small.  However,  as  they  are  not 
intended  to  destroy  life,  this  is  probably  the  reason. 

"  The  ears  should  hang  like  the  Bloodhound's,  and  are  like  the  softest 
velvet  drapery. 

"  The  eyes  are  a  deep  brown,  and  are  brimful  of  affection  and  intelli- 
gence. They  are  pretty  deeply  set,  and  should  show  a  considerable 
haw.  A  Basset  is  one  of  those  hounds  incapable  of  having  a  wicked 
eye. 

"  The  neck  is  long,  but  of  great  power  ;  and  in  the  Basset  d  jambes 
torses  the  flews  extend  very  nearly  down  to  the  chest.  The  chest  is 
more  expansive  than  even  in  the  Bulldog,  and  should  in  the  Bassets  d 
jambes  torses  be  not  more  than  two  inches  from  the  ground.  In  the 
case  of  the  Bassets  a  jambes  demi-torses  and  jambes  droites,  being 
generally  lighter,  their  chests  do  not,  of  course,  come  so  low. 

"  The  shoulders  are  of  great  power,  and  terminate  in  the  crooked 
feet  of  the  Basset,  which  appear  to  be  a  mass  of  joints.  The  back  and 
ribs  are  strong,  and  the  former  of  great  length. 

"  The  stern  is  carried  gaily,  like  that  of  hounds  in  general,  and  when 
the  hound  is  on  the  scent  of  game  this  portion  of  his  body  gets 
extremely  animated,  and  tells  me,  in  my  own  hounds,  when  they  have 
struck  a  fresh  or  a  cold  scent,  and  I  even  know  when  the  foremost 
hound  will  give  tongue. 

"  The  hind-quarters  are  very  strong  and  muscular,  the  muscles 
standing  rigidly  out  down  to  the  hocks. 

"  The  skin  is  soft  in  the  smooth  haired  dogs,  and  like  that  of  any  other 
hound,  but  in  the  rough  variety  it  is  like  that  of  the  Otterhound's. 

"  Colour,  of  course,  is  a  matter  of  fancy,  although  I  infinitely  prefer 
the  tricolour,  which  has  a  tan  head  and  a  black  and  white  body." 


CHAPTER    XXVII 
THE   DACHSHUND 

PERSONS  unfamiliar  with  the  sporting  properties  of  this  long- 
bodied  breed  are  apt  to  refer  smilingly  to  the  Dachshund  as 
"  the  dog  that  is  sold  by  the  yard,"  and  few  even  of  those  who 
know  him  give  credit  to  the  debonair  little  fellow  for  the  grim 
work  which  he  is  intended  to  perform  in  doing  battle  with  the 
vicious  badger  in  its  lair.  Dachshund  means  "  badger  dog," 
and  it  is  a  title  fairly  and  squarely  earned  in  his  native 
Germany. 

Given  proper  training,  he  will  perform  the  duties  of  several 
sporting  breeds  rolled  into  one.  Possessing  a  wonderful  nose, 
combined  with  remarkable  steadiness,  his  kind  will  work 
out  the  coldest  scent,  and  once  fairly  on  the  line  they  will  give 
plenty  of  music  and  get  over  the  ground  at  a  pace  almost 
incredible.  Dachshunds  hunt  well  in  a  pack,  and,  though  it  is 
not  their  recognised  vocation,  they  can  be  successfully  used  on 
hare,  on  fox,  and  any  form  of  vermin  that  wears  a  furry  coat. 
But  his  legitimate  work  is  directed  against  the  badger,  in 
locating  the  brock  under  ground,  worrying  and  driving  him 
into  his  innermost  earth,  and  there  holding  him  until  dug  out. 
It  is  no  part  of  his  calling  to  come  to  close  grips,  though  that 
often  happens  in  the  confined  space  in  which  he  has  to  work. 
In  this  position  a  badger  with  his  powerful  claws  digs  with  such 
energy  and  skill  as  rapidly  to  bury  himself,  and  the  Dachshund 
needs  to  be  provided  with  such  apparatus  as  will  permit  him  to 
clear  his  way  and  keep  in  touch  with  his  formidable  quarry. 
The  badger  is  also  hunted  by  Dachshunds  above  ground, 
usually  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  Germany,  and  in  the 


THE  DACHSHUND  177 

growing  crops  of  maize,  on  the  lower  slopes,  where  the  vermin 
work  terrible  havoc  in  the  evening.  In  this  case  the  badger  is 
rounded  up  and  driven  by  the  dogs  up  to  the  guns  which  are 
posted  between  the  game  and  their  earths.  For  this  sport 
the  dog  used  is  heavier,  coarser,  and  of  larger  build,  higher  on 
the  leg,  and  more  generally  houndy  in  appearance.  Dach- 
shunds are  frequently  used  for  deer  driving,  in  which  operation 
they  are  especially  valuable,  as  they  work  slowly,  and  do  not 
frighten  or -overrun  their  quarry,  and  can  penetrate  the 
densest  undergrowth.  Packs  of  Dachshunds  may  sometimes  be 
engaged  on  wild  boar,  and,  as  they  are  web-footed  and  excel- 
lent swimmers,  there  is  no  doubt  that  their  terrier  qualities 
would  make  them  useful  assistants  to  the  Otterhound. 
Apropos  of  their  capabilities  in  the  water  it  is  the  case  that  a 
year  or  two  ago,  at  Offenbach-on-Main,  at  some  trials  arranged 
for  life-saving  by  dogs,  a  Dachshund  carried  off  the  first  prize 
against  all  comers. 

As  a  companion  in  the  house  the  Dachshund  has  perhaps  no 
compeer.  He  is  a  perfect  gentleman  ;  cleanly  in  his  habits, 
obedient,  unobtrusive,  incapable  of  smallness,  affectionate, 
very  sensitive  to  rebuke  or  to  unkindness,  and  amusingly 
jealous.  As  a  watch  he  is  excellent,  quick  to  detect  a  strange 
footstep,  valiant  to  defend  the  threshold,  and  to  challenge 
with  deep  voice  any  intruder,  yet  sensibly  discerning  his 
master's  friends,  and  not  annoying  them  with  prolonged 
growling  and  grumbling  as  many  terriers  do  when  a  stranger 
is  admitted.  Properly  brought  up,  he  is  a  perfectly  safe  and 
amusing  companion  for  children,  full  of  animal  spirits,  and 
ever  ready  to  share  in  a  romp,  even  though  it  be  accompanied 
by  rough  and  tumble  play.  In  Germany,  where  he  is  the  most 
popular  of  all  dogs,  large  or  small,  he  is  to  be  found  in  every 
home,  from  the  Emperor's  palace  downwards,  and  his  quaint 
appearance,  coupled  with  his  entertaining  personality,  is  daily 
seized  upon  by  the  comic  papers  to  illustrate  countless  jokes 
at  his  expense. 

The  origin  of  the  Dachshund  is  not  very  clear.     Some 

M 


178        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

writers  have  professed  to  trace  the  breed  or  representations  of 
it  on  the  monuments  of  the  Egyptians.  Some  aver  that  it  is 
a  direct  descendant  of  the  French  Basset-hound,  and  others 
that  he  is  related  to  the  old  Turnspits — the  dogs  so  excellent 
in  kitchen  service,  of  whom  Dr.  Caius  wrote  that  "  when  any 
meat  is  to  be  roasted  they  go  into  a  wheel,  where  they,  turning 
about  with  the  weight  of  their  bodies,  so  diligently  look  to  their 
business  that  no  drudge  nor  scullion  can  do  the  feat  more 
cunningly,  whom  the  popular  sort  hereupon  term  Turnspits." 
Certainly  the  dog  commonly  used  in  this  occupation  was  long 
of  body  and  short  of  leg,  very  much  resembling  the  Dachshund. 

In  all  probability  the  Dachshund  is  a  manufactured  breed — 
a  breed  evolved  from  a  large  type  of  hound  intermixed  with  a 
terrier  to  suit  the  special  conditions  involved  in  the  pursuit 
and  extermination  of  a  quarry  that,  unchecked,  was  capable 
of  seriously  interfering  with  the  cultivation  of  the  land. 
He  comprises  in  his  small  person  the  characteristics  of  both 
hound  and  terrier — his  wonderful  powers  of  scent,  his  long, 
pendulous  ears,  and,  for  his  size,  enormous  bone,  speak  of  his 
descent  from  the  hound  that  hunts  by  scent.  In  many 
respects  he  favours  the  Bloodhound,  and  one  may  often  see 
Dachshunds  which,  having  been  bred  from  parents  carefully 
selected  to  accentuate  some  fancy  point,  have  exhibited  the 
very  pronounced  "  peak  "  (occipital  bone),  the  protruding  haw 
of  the  eye,  the  loose  dewlap  and  the  colour  markings  char- 
acteristic of  the  Bloodhound.  His  small  stature,  iron  heart, 
and  willingness  to  enter  the  earth  bespeak  the  terrier  cross. 

The  Dachshund  was  first  introduced  to  this  country  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  merit  notice  in  the  early  'sixties,  and, 
speedily  attracting  notice  by  his  quaint  formation  and  un- 
doubted sporting  instincts,  soon  became  a  favourite.  At  first 
appearing  at  shows  in  the  "  Foreign  Dog  "  class,  he  quickly 
received  a  recognition  of  his  claims  to  more  favoured  treat- 
ment, and  was  promoted  by  the  Kennel  Club  to  a  special  classi- 
fication as  a  sporting  dog.  Since  then  his  rise  has  been  rapid, 
and  he  now  is  reckoned  as  one  of  the  numerically  largest  breeds 


THE  DACHSHUND  179 

exhibited.  Unfortunately,  however,  he  has  been  little,  if  ever, 
used  for  sport  in  the  sense  that  applies  in  Germany,  and  this 
fact,  coupled  with  years  of  breeding  from  too  small  a  stock  (or 
stock  too  nearly  related)  and  the  insane  striving  after  the 
fanciful  and  exaggerated  points  demanded  by  judges  at  dog 
shows,  many  of  whom  never  saw  a  Dachshund  at  his  legitimate 
work,  has  seriously  affected  his  usefulness.  He  has  deteri- 
orated in  type,  lost  grit  and  sense,  too,  and  is  often  a  parody 
of  the  true  type  of  Dachshund  that  is  to  be  found  in  his  native 
land. 

To  the  reader  who  contemplates  possessing  one  or  more 
Dachshunds  a  word  of  advice  may  be  offered.  Whether  you 
want  a  dog  for  sport,  for  show,  or  as  a  companion,  endeavour  to 
get  a  good  one — a  well-bred  one.  To  arrive  at  this  do  not  buy 
from  an  advertisement  on  your  own  knowledge  of  the  breed, 
but  seek  out  an  expert  amateur  breeder  and  exhibitor,  and  get 
his  advice  and  assistance.  If  you  intend  to  start  a  kennel  for 
show  purposes,  do  not  buy  a  high1priced  dog  at  a  show,  but 
start  with  a  well-bred  bitch,  and  breed  your  own  puppies, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  aforementioned  expert.  In  this 
way,  and  by  rearing  and  keeping  your  puppies  till  they  are  of 
an  age  to  be  exhibited,  and  at  the  same  time  carefully  noting 
the  awards  at  the  best  shows,  you  will  speedily  learn  which 
to  retain  and  the  right  type  of  dog  to  keep  and  breed  for, 
and  in  future  operations  you  will  be  able  to  discard  inferior 
puppies  at  an  earlier  age.  But  it  is  a  great  mistake,  if  you 
intend  to  form  a  kennel  for  show  purposes,  to  sell  or  part 
with  your  puppies  too  early.  It  is  notorious  with  all  breeds 
that  puppies  change  very  much  as  they  grow.  The  best  look- 
ing in  the  nest  often  go  wrong  later,  and  the  ugly  duckling 
turns  out  the  best  of  the  litter.  This  is  especially  true  of 
Dachshunds,  and  it  requires  an  expert  to  pick  the  best  puppy 
of  a  litter  at  a  month  or  two  old,  and  even  he  may  be  at  fault 
unless  the  puppy  is  exceptionally  well  reared. 

To  rear  Dachshund  puppies  successfully  you  must  not  over- 
load them  with  fat — give  them  strengthening  food  that  does  not 


i8o        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

lay  on  flesh.  Lean,  raw  beef,  finely  chopped,  is  an  excellent 
food  once  or  twice  a  day  for  the  first  few  months,  and,  though 
this  comes  expensive,  it  pays  in  the  end.  Raw  meat  is  supposed 
to  cause  worm  troubles,  but  these  pests  are  also  found  where 
meat  is  not  given,  and  in  any  case  a  puppy  is  fortified  with 
more  strength  to  withstand  them  if  fed  on  raw  meat  than 
otherwise,  and  a  good  dosing  from  time  to  time  will  be  all  that 
is  necessary  to  keep  him  well  and  happy. 

Young  growing  puppies  must  have  their  freedom  to  gambol 
about,  and  get  their  legs  strong.  Never  keep  the  puppies 
cooped  up  in  a  small  kennel  run  or  house.  If  you  have  a  fair- 
sized  yard,  give  them  the  run  of  that,  or  even  the  garden,  in 
spite  of  what  your  gardener  may  say — they  may  do  a  little 
damage  to  the  flowers,  but  will  assuredly  do  good  to  them- 
selves. They  love  to  dig  in  the  soft  borders :  digging  is 
second  nature  to  them,  and  is  of  great  importance  in  their 
development. 

If  you  have  not  a  garden,  or  if  the  flowers  are  too  sacred,  it  is 
better  to  place  your  puppies  as  early  as  possible  with  respec- 
table cottagers,  or  small  farmers,  especially  the  latter,  with 
whom  they  will  have  entire  freedom  to  run  about,  and  will  not 
be  overfed. 

If  you  intend  to  show  your  puppies,  you  should  begin  some 
time  in  advance  to  school  them  to  walk  on  the  lead  and  to 
stand  quiet  when  ordered  to.  Much  depends  on  this  in  the 
judging  ring,  where  a  dog  who  is  unused  to  being  on  a 
lead  often  spoils  his  chances  of  appearing  at  his  best  under 
the  (to  him)  strange  experiences  of  restraint  which  the  lead 
entails. 

During  the  past  five-and-twenty  years  the  names  of  two 
particular  Dachshunds  stand  out  head  and  shoulders  above 
those  of  their  competitors :  Champions  Jackdaw  and  Ptero- 
dactyl. Jackdaw  had  a  wonderful  record,  having,  during  a 
long  show  career,  never  been  beaten  in  his  class  from  start  to 
finish,  and  having  won  many  valuable  prizes.  He  was 
credited  with  being  the  most  perfect  Dachshund  that  had  ever 


THE  DACHSHUND  181 

been  seen  in  England,  and  probably  as  good  as  anything  in 
Germany. 

Ch.  Jackdaw  was  a  black  and  tan  dog,  bred  and  owned  by 
Mr.  Harry  Jones,  of  Ipswich.  He  was  sired  by  Ch.  Charkow, 
out  of  Wagtail,  and  born  2Oth  July,  1886.  Through  his  dam 
he  was  descended  from  a  famous  bitch,  Thusnelda,  who  was 
imported  by  Mr.  Mudie  in  the  early  'eighties.  She  was  a 
winner  of  high  honours  in  Hanover.  The  name  of  Jackdaw 
figures  in  all  the  best  pedigrees  of  to-day. 

Ch.  Pterodactyl  was  born  in  1888,  and  bred  by  Mr.  Willink. 
He  was  in  a  measure  an  outcross  from  the  standard  type  of  the 
day,  and  his  dam,  whose  pedigree  is  in  dispute,  was  thought 
to  have  been  imported.  After  passing  through  one  or  two 
hands  he  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Harry  Jones,  and  in  his  kennel 
speedily  made  a  great  name  in  the  show  ring  and  at  the  stud, 
and  was  eventually  sold  for  a  high  price  to  Mr.  Sidney  Woodi- 
wiss,  who  at  that  period  had  the  largest  kennel  of  Dachshunds 
in  England. 

"  Ptero,"  as  he  was  called,  was  a  big,  light  red  dog,  with 
wonderful  fore-quarters  and  great  muscular  development.  He 
also  possessed  what  is  called  a  "  punishing  jaw  "  and  rather 
short  ears,  and  looked  a  thorough  "  business  "  dog.  He  had  an 
almost  unbroken  series  of  successes  at  shows  in  England,  and. 
being  taken  to  Germany  (in  the  days  before  the  quarantine 
regulations),  he  took  the  highest  honours  in  the  heavy-weight 
class,  and  a  special  prize  for  the  best  Dachshund  of  all 
classes.  This  dog  became  the  favourite  sire  of  his  day  and 
the  fashionable  colour. 

The  black  and  tan  thereupon  went  quite  out  of  favour,  and 
this  fact,  coupled  with  the  reckless  amount  of  inbreeding  of 
red  to  red  that  has  been  going  on  since  Ptero 's  day,  accounts 
largely  for  the  prevalence  of  light  eyes,  pink  noses,  and  bad- 
coloured  coats  of  the  Dachshunds,  as  a  class,  to-day. 

There  are,  strictly  speaking,  three  varieties  of  Dachshund — 
(a)  the  short-haired,  (b)  the  long-haired,  and  (c)  the  rough- 
haired. 


i82        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Of  these  we  most  usually  find  the  first-named  in  England, 
and  they  are  no  doubt  the  original  stock.  Of  the  others, 
though  fairly  numerous  in  Germany,  very  few  are  to  be  seen 
in  this  country,  and  although  one  or  two  have  been  imported 
the  type  has  never  seemed  to  appeal  to  exhibitors. 

Both  the  long-haired  and  rough-haired  varieties  have  no 
doubt  been  produced  by  crosses  with  other  breeds,  such  as  the 
Spaniel  and  probably  the  Irish  Terrier,  respectively. 

In  the  long-haired  variety  the  hair  should  be  soft  and  wavy, 
forming  lengthy  plumes  under  the  throat,  lower  parts  of  the 
body,  and  the  backs  of  the  legs,  and  it  is  longest  on  the  under 
side  of  the  tail,  where  it  forms  a  regular  flag  like  that  of  a 
Setter  or  Spaniel.  The  rough-haired  variety  shows  strongly 
a  terrier  cross  by  his  "  varmint  "  expression  and  short  ears. 

The  Germans  also  subdivide  by  colour,  and  again  for  show 
purposes  by  weight.  These  subdivisions  are  dealt  with  in 
their  proper  order  in  the  standard  of  points,  and  it  is  only 
necessary  to  say  here  that  all  the  varieties,  colours,  and 
weights  are  judged  by  the  same  standard  except  in  so  far  as 
they  differ  in  texture  of  coat.  At  the  same  time  the  Germans 
themselves  do  not  regard  the  dapple  Dachshunds  as  yet  so 
fixed  in  type  as  the  original  coloured  dogs,  and  this  exception 
must  also  apply  to  the  long  and  the  rough  haired  varieties. 

The  following  German  standard  of  points  embodies  a 
detailed  description  of  the  breed  : — 

General  Appearance  and  Disposition — In  general  appearance  the 
Dachshund  is  a  very  long  and  low  dog,  with  compact  and  well-muscled 
body,  resting  on  short,  slightly  crooked  fore-legs.  A  long  head  and 
ears,  with  bold  and  defiant  carriage  and  intelligent  expression.  In 
disposition  the  Dachshund  is  full  of  spirit,  defiant  when  attacked, 
aggressive  even  to  foolhardiness  when  attacking ;  in  play  amusing 
and  untiring ;  by  nature  wilful  and  unheeding.  Head — Long,  and 
appearing  conical  from  above,  and  from  a  side  view,  tapering  to  the 
point  of  the  muzzle,  wedge-shaped.  The  skull  should  be  broad  rather 
than  narrow,  to  allow  plenty  of  brain  room,  sightly  arched,  and  fairly 
straight,  without  a  stop,  but  not  deep  or  snipy.  Eyes — Medium  in 
size,  oval,  and  set  obliquely,  with  very  clear,  sharp  expression  and  of  a 
dark  colour,  except  in  the  case  of  the  liver  and  tan,  when  the  eyes  may 
be  yellow  ;  and  in  the  dapple,  when  the  eyes  may  be  light  or  "  wall- 
eyed." Nose — Preferably  deep  black.  The  flesh-coloured  and  spotted 


THE  DACHSHUND  183 

noses  are  allowable  only  in  the  liver  and  tan  and  dapple  varieties. 
Ears — Set  on  moderately  high,  or,  seen  in  profile,  above  the  level  of  the 
eyes,  well  back,  flat,  not  folded,  pointed,  or  narrow,  hanging  close  to  the 
cheeks,  very  mobile,  and  when  at  attention  carried  with  the  back  of  the 
ear  upward  and  outward.  Neck — Moderately  long,  with  slightly 
arched  nape,  muscular  and  clean,  showing  no  dewlap,  and  carried  well 
up  and  forward.  Fore-quarters — His  work  underground  demands 
strength  and  compactness,  and,  therefore,  the  chest  and  shoulder 
regions  should  be  deep,  long,  and  wide.  The  shoulder  blade  should 
be  long,  and  set  on  very  sloping,  the  upper  arm  of  equal  length  with, 
and  at  right  angles  to,  the  shoulder  blade,  strong-boned  and  well- 
muscled,  and  lying  close  to  ribs,  but  moving  freely.  The  lower  arm 
is  slightly  bent  inwards,  and  the  feet  should  be  turned  slightly  outwards, 
giving  an  appearance  of  "  crooked  "  legs  approximating  to  the  cabriole 
of  a  Chippendale  chair.  Straight,  narrow,  short  shoulders  are  always 
accompanied  by  straight,  short,  upper  arms,  forming  an  obtuse  angle, 
badly  developed  brisket  and  "  keel  "  or  chicken  breast,  and  the  upper 
arm  being  thrown  forward  by  the  weight  of  the  body  behind  causes 
the  legs  to  knuckle  over  at  the  "  knees."  Broad,  sloping  shoulders, 
on  the  other  hand,  insure  soundness  of  the  fore-legs  and  feet.  Legs  and 
Feet — Fore-legs  very  short  and  strong  in  bone,  slightly  bent  inwards  ; 
seen  in  profile,  moderately  straight  and  never  bending  forward  or 
knuckling  over.  Feet  large,  round,  and  strong,  with  thick  pads,  com- 
pact and  well-arched  toes,  nails  strong  and  black.  The  dog  must  stand 
equally  on  all  parts  of  the  foot.  Body — Should  be  long  and  muscular, 
the  chest  very  oval,  rather  than  very  narrow  and  deep,  to  allow  ample 
room  for  heart  and  lungs,  hanging  low  between  front  legs,  the  brisket 
point  should  be  high  and  very  prominent,  the  ribs  well  sprung  out 
towards  the  loins  (not  flat-sided).  Loins  short  and  strong.  The  line 
of  back  only  slightly  depressed  behind  shoulders  and  only  slightly  arched 
over  loins.  The  hind-quarters  should  not  be  higher  than  the  shoulders, 
thus  giving  a  general  appearance  of  levelness.  Hind-quarters — The 
ramp  round,  broad,  and  powerfully  muscled  ;  hip  bone  not  too  short, 
but  broad  and  sloping  ;  the  upper  arm,  or  thigh,  thick,  of  good  length, 
and  jointed  at  right  angles  to  the  hip  bone.  The  lower  leg  (or  second 
thigh)  is,  compared  with  other  animals,  short,  and  is  set  on  at  right 
angles  to  the  upper  thigh,  and  is  very  firmly  muscled.  The  hind-legs 
are  lighter  in  bone  than  the  front  ones,  but  very  strongly  muscled, 
with  well-rounded-out  buttocks,  and  the  knee  joint  well  developed. 
Seen  from  behind,  the  legs  should  be  wide  apart  and  straight,  and  not 
cowhocked.  The  dog  should  not  be  higher  at  the  quarters  than  at 
shoulder.  Stern — Set  on  fairly  high,  strong  at  root,  and  tapering,  but 
not  too  long.  Neither  too  much  curved  nor  carried  too  high  ;  well,  but 
not  too  much,  feathered  ;  a  bushy  tail  is  better  than  too  little  hair. 
Coat  and  Skin — Hair  short  and  close  as  possible,  glossy  and  smooth, 
but  resistant  to  the  touch  if  stroked  the  wrong  way.  The  skin  tough 
and  elastic,  but  fitting  close  to  the  body.  Colour — One  Coloured: — 
There  are  several  self-colours  recognised,  including  deep  red,  yellowish 
red,  smutty  red.  Of  these  the  dark,  or  cherry,  red  is  preferable,  and  in 
this  colour  light  shadings  on  any  part  of  the  body  or  head  are  undesir- 
able. "  Black  "  is  rare,  and  is  only  a  sport  from  black  and  tan.  Two 


i84        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Coloured : — Deep  black,  brown  (liver)  or  grey,  with  golden  or  tan 
markings  (spots)  over  the  eyes  at  the  side  of  the  jaw  and  lips,  inner  rim 
of  ears,  the  breast,  inside  and  back  of  legs,  the  feet,  and  under  the  tail 
for  about  one-third  of  its  length.  In  the  above-mentioned  colours  white 
markings  are  objectionable.  The  utmost  that  is  allowed  being  a  small 
spot,  or  a  few  hairs,  on  the  chest.  Dappled  : — A  silver  grey  to  almost 
white  foundation  colour,  with  dark,  irregular  spots  (small  for  prefer- 
ence) of  dark  grey,  brown,  tan,  or  black.  The  general  appearance 
should  be  a  bright,  indefinite  coloration,  which  is  considered  especially 
useful  in  a  hunting  dog.  Weight — Dachshunds  in  Germany  are  classi- 
fied by  weight  as  follows  : — Light-weight — Dogs  up  to  16 }  lb.,  bitches 
up  to  15 i  lb.  Middle-weight — Dogs  up  to  22  lb.,  bitches  up  to  22  lb. 
Heavy-weight — Over  22  lb.  Toys — Up  to  12  lb.  The  German  pound 
is  one-tenth  more  than  the  English.  The  light-weight  dog  is  most 
used  for  going  to  ground. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 
THE   OLD    WORKING   TERRIER 

THERE  can  hardly  have  been  a  time  since  the  period  of  the 
Norman  Conquest  when  the  small  earth  dogs  which  we  now 
call  terriers  were  not  known  in  these  islands  and  used  by 
sporting  men  as  assistants  in  the  chase,  and  by  husbandmen 
for  the  killing  of  obnoxious  vermin.  The  two  little  dogs  shown 
in  the  Bayeux  tapestry  running  with  the  hounds  in  advance 
of  King  Harold's  hawking  party  were  probably  meant  for 
terriers.  Dame  Juliana  Berners  in  the  fifteenth  century  did 
not  neglect  to  include  the  "  Teroures  "  in  her  catalogue  of 
sporting  dogs,  and  a  hundred  years  later  Dr.  Caius  gave 
pointed  recognition  to  their  value  in  unearthing  the  fox  and 
drawing  the  badger. 

"  Another  sorte,  there  is,"  wrote  the  doctor's  translator  in 
1576,  "  which  hunteth  the  Fox  and  the  Badger  or  Greye  onely, 
whom  we  call  Terrars,  because  they  (after  the  manner  and 
custome  of  ferrets  in  searching  for  Connyes)  creep  into  the 
grounde,  and  by  that  meanes  make  afrayde,  nyppe  and  bite 
the  Foxe  and  the  Badger  in  such  sorte  that  eyther  they  teare 
them  in  pieces  with  theyr  teeth,  beying  in  the  bosome  of  the 
earth,  or  else  hayle  and  pull  them  perforce  out  of  theyr  lurking 
angles,  darke  dongeons,  and  close  caues ;  or  at  the  least  through 
cocened  feare  drive  them  out  of  theire  hollow  harbours,  in  so 
much  that  they  are  compelled  to  prepare  speedie  flyte,  and, 
being  desirous  of  the  next  (albeit  not  the  safest)  refuge,  are 
otherwise  taken  and  intrapped  with  snayres  and  nettes  layde 
over  holes  to  the  same  purpose.  But  these  be  the  least  in  that 
kynde  called  Sagax." 


186        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  colour,  size,  and  shape  of  the  original  terriers  are  not 
indicated  by  the  early  writers,  and  art  supplies  but  vague  and 
uncertain  evidence.  Nicholas  Cox,  who  wrote  of  sporting 
dogs  in  The  Gentleman's  Recreation  (1667),  seems  to  suggest 
that  the  type  of  working  terrier  was  already  fixed  suffi- 
ciently to  be  divided  into  two  kinds,  the  one  having  shaggy 
coats  and  straight  limbs,  the  other  smooth  coats  and  short  bent 
legs.  Yet  some  years  later  another  authority — Blome — in 
the  same  publication  was  more  guarded  in  his  statements 
as  to  the  terrier  type  when  he  wrote  :  "  Everybody  that  is 
a  fox  hunter  is  of  opinion  that  he  hath  a  good  breed,  and 
some  will  say  that  the  terrier  is  a  peculiar  species  of  itself.  I 
will  not  say  anything  to  the  affirmative  or  negative  of  the 
point." 

Searching  for  evidence  on  the  subject,  one  finds  that  per- 
haps the  earliest  references  to  the  colours  of  terriers  were  made 
by  Daniel  in  his  Field  Sports  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  he  described  two  sorts,  the  one  rough,  short- 
legged,  and  long-backed,  very  strong,  and  "  most  commonly 
of  a  black  or  yellowish  colour,  mixed  with  white  " — evidently 
a  hound-marked  dog  ;  and  another  smooth-coated  and  beauti- 
fully formed,  with  a  shorter  body  and  more  sprightly  appear- 
ance, "  generally  of  a  reddish  brown  colour,  or  black  with 
tanned  legs." 

Gilpin's  portrait  of  Colonel  Thornton's  celebrated  Pitch, 
painted  in  1790,  presents  a  terrier  having  a  smooth  white  coat 
with  a  black  patch  at  the  set-on  of  the  undocked  tail,  and  black 
markings  on  the  face  and  ears.  The  dog's  head  is  badly  drawn 
and  small  in  proportion  ;  but  the  body  and  legs  and  colouring 
would  hardly  disgrace  the  Totteridge  Kennels  of  to-day.  Fox- 
terriers  of  a  noted  strain  were  depicted  from  life  by  Reinagle 
in  The  Sportsman's  Cabinet,  published  over  a  hundred  years 
ago ;  and  in  the  text  accompanying  the  engraving  a  minute 
account  is  given  of  the  peculiarities  and  working  capacities 
of  the  terrier.  We  are  told  that  there  were  two  breeds  :  the 
one  wire-haired,  larger,  more  powerful,  and  harder  bitten  ; 


THE  OLD  WORKING  TERRIER         187 

the  other  smooth-haired  and  smaller,  with  more  style.  The 
wire-hairs  were  white  with  spots,  the  smooths  were  black  and 
tan,  the  tan  apparently  predominating  over  the  black.  The 
same  writer  states  that  it  was  customary  to  take  out  a  brace 
of  terriers  with  a  pack  of  hounds,  a  larger  and  a  smaller  one, 
the  smaller  dog  being  used  in  emergency  when  the  earth 
proved  to  be  too  narrow  to  admit  his  bigger  companion.  It  is 
well  known  that  many  of  the  old  fox  hunters  have  kept  their 
special  breeds  of  terrier,  and  the  Belvoir,  the  Grove,  and  Lord 
Middleton's  are  among  the  packs  to  which  particular  terrier 
strains  have  been  attached. 

That  even  a  hundred  years  ago  terriers  were  bred  with  care, 
and  that  certain  strains  were  held  in  especial  value,  is  shown 
by  the  recorded  fact  that  a  litter  of  seven  puppies  was  sold 
for  twenty-one  guineas — a  good  price  even  in  these  days — 
and  that  on  one  occasion  so  high  a  sum  as  twenty  guineas  was 
paid  for  a  full-grown  dog.  At  that  time  there  was  no  definite 
and  well-established  breed  recognised  throughout  the  islands 
by  a  specific  name  ;  the  embracing  title  of  "  Terrier  "  included 
all  the  varieties  which  have  since  been  carefully  differentiated. 
But  very  many  of  the  breeds  existed  in  their  respective  locali- 
ties awaiting  national  recognition.  Here  and  there  some 
squire  or  huntsman  nurtured  a  particular  strain  and  developed 
a  type  which  he  kept  pure,  and  at  many  a  manor-house  and 
farmstead  in  Devonshire  and  Cumberland,  on  many  a  High- 
land estate  and  Irish  riverside  where  there  were  foxes  to  be 
hunted  or  otters  to  be  killed,  terriers  of  definite  strain  were 
religiously  cherished.  Several  of  these  still  survive,  and  are 
as  respectable  in  descent  and  quite  as  important  historically 
as  some  of  the  favoured  and  fashionable  champions  of  our 
time.  They  do  not  perhaps  possess  the  outward  beauty  and 
distinction  of  type  which  would  justify  their  being  brought 
into  general  notice,  but  as  workers  they  retain  all  the  fire  and 
verve  that  are  required  in  dogs  that  are  expected  to  encounter 
such  vicious  vermin  as  the  badger  and  the  fox. 

Some  of  the  breeds  of  terriers  seen  nowadays  in  every  dog 


i88        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

show  were  equally  obscure  and  unknown  a  few  years  back. 
Thirty-seven  years  ago  the  now  popular  Irish  Terrier  was  prac- 
tically unknown  in  England,  and  the  Scottish  Terrier  was  only 
beginning  to  be  recognised  as  a  distinct  breed.  The  Welsh 
Terrier  is  quite  a  new  introduction  that  a  dozen  or  so  years  ago 
was  seldom  seen  outside  the  Principality  ;  and  so  recently  as 
1881  the  Airedale  was  merely  a  local  dog  known  in  Yorkshire 
as  the  Waterside  or  the  Bingley  Terrier.  Yet  the  breeds  just 
mentioned  are  all  of  unimpeachable  ancestry,  and  the  circum- 
stance that  they  were  formerly  bred  within  limited  neighbour- 
hoods is  in  itself  an  argument  in  favour  of  their  purity.  We 
have  seen  the  process  of  a  sudden  leap  into  recognition  enacted 
during  the  past  few  years  in  connection  with  the  white  terrier 
of  the  Western  Highlands — a  dog  which  was  familiarly  known 
in  Argyllshire  centuries  ago,  yet  which  has  only  lately  emerged 
from  the  heathery  hillsides  around  Poltalloch  to  become  an 
attraction  on  the  benches  at  the  Crystal  Palace  and  on  the 
lawns  of  the  Botanical  Gardens ;  and  the  example  suggests 
the  possibility  that  in  another  decade  or  so  the  neglected 
Sealyham  Terrier,  the  ignored  terrier  of  the  Borders,  and  the 
almost  forgotten  Jack  Russell  strain,  may  have  claimed  a  due 
recompense  for  their  long  neglect. 

There  are  lovers  of  the  hard-bitten  working  "earth  dogs  " 
who  still  keep  these  strains  inviolate,  and  who  greatly  prefer 
them  to  the  better-known  terriers  whose  natural  activities 
have  been  too  often  atrophied  by  a  system  of  artificial  breeding 
to  show  points.  Few  of  these  old  unregistered  breeds  would 
attract  the  eye  of  the  fancier  accustomed  to  judge  a  dog 
parading  before  him  in  the  show  ring.  To  know  their  value 
and  to  appreciate  their  sterling  good  qualities,  one  needs  to 
watch  them  at  work  on  badger  or  when  they  hit  upon  the  line 
of  an  otter.  It  is  then  that  they  display  the  alertness  and  the 
dare-devil  courage  which  have  won  for  the  English  terriers 
their  name  and  fame. 

An  excellent  working  terrier  was  the  white,  rough-haired 
strain  kept  by  the  Rev.  John  Russell  in  Devonshire  and 


THE  OLD  WORKING  TERRIER         189 

distributed  among  privileged  sportsmen  about  Somersetshire 
and  Gloucestershire.  The  working  attributes  of  these  ener- 
getic terriers  have  long  been  understood,  and  the  smart,  plucky 
little  dogs  have  been  constantly  coveted  by  breeders  all  over  the 
country,  but  they  have  never  won  the  popularity  they  deserve. 

Those  who  have  kept  both  varieties  prefer  the  Russell  to 
the  Sealyham  Terrier,  which  is  nevertheless  an  excellent 
worker.  It  is  on  record  that  one  of  these,  a  bitch  of  only  9  Ib. 
weight,  fought  and  killed,  single-handed,  a  full-grown  dog-fox. 
The  Sealyham  derives  its  breed  name  from  the  seat  of  the 
Edwardes  family,  near  Haverfordwest,  in  Pembrokeshire, 
where  the  strain  has  been  carefully  preserved  for  well  over  a 
century.  It  is  a  long-bodied,  short-legged  terrier,  with  a 
hard,  wiry  coat,  frequently  whole  white,  but  also  white  with 
black  or  brown  markings  or  brown  with  black.  They  may  be 
as  heavy  as  17  Ib.,  but  12  Ib.  is  the  average  weight.  Some 
years  ago  the  breed  seemed  to  be  on  the  down  grade,  requiring 
fresh  blood  from  a  well-chosen  out-cross.  One  hears  very 
little  concerning  them  nowadays,  but  it  is  certain  that  when 
in  their  prime  they  possessed  all  the  grit,  determination,  and 
endurance  that  are  looked  for  in  a  good  working  terrier. 

A  wire-haired  black  and  tan  terrier  was  once  common  in 
Suffolk  and  Norfolk,  where  it  was  much  used  for  rabbiting, 
but  it  may  now  be  extinct,  or,  if  not  extinct,  probably  identified 
with  the  Welsh  Terrier,  which  it  closely  resembled  in  size 
and  colouring.  There  was  also  in  Shropshire  a  well-known 
breed  of  wire-hair  terriers,  black  and  tan,  on  very  short  legs, 
and  weighing  about  10  Ib.  or  12  Ib.,  with  long  punishing  heads 
and  extraordinary  working  powers.  So,  too,  in  Lancashire 
and  Cheshire  one  used  to  meet  with  sandy-coloured  terriers 
of  no  very  well  authenticated  strain,  but  closely  resembling 
the  present  breed  of  Irish  Terrier  ;  and  Squire  Thornton,  at 
his  place  near  Pickering,  in  Yorkshire,  had  a  breed  of  wire- 
hairs  tan  in  colour  with  a  black  stripe  down  the  back.  Then 
there  is  the  Cowley  strain,  kept  by  the  Cowleys  of  Callipers, 
near  King's  Langley.  These  are  white  wire-haired  dogs 


190        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

marked  like  the  Fox-terrier,  and  exceedingly  game.  Possibly 
the  Elterwater  Terrier  is  no  longer  to  be  found,  but  some  few 
of  them  still  existed  a  dozen  years  or  so  ago  in  the  Lake  District, 
where  they  were  used  in  conjunction  with  the  West  Cumber- 
land Otterhounds.  They  were  not  easily  distinguishable  from 
the  better-known  Border  Terriers  of  which  there  are  still 
many  strains,  ranging  from  Northumberland,  where  Mr.  T. 
Robson,  of  Bellingham,  has  kept  them  for  many  years,  to 
Galloway  and  Ayrshire  and  the  Lothians,  where  their  coats 
become  longer  and  less  crisp. 

There  are  many  more  local  varieties  of  the  working  terrier 
as,  for  example,  the  Roseneath,  which  is  often  confused  with 
the  Poltalloch,  or  White  West  Highlander,  to  whom  it  is 
possibly  related.  And  the  Pittenweem,  with  which  the  Pol- 
talloch Terriers  are  now  being  crossed  ;  while  Mrs.  Alastair 
Campbell,  of  Ardrishaig,  has  a  pack  of  Cairn  Terriers  which 
seem  to  represent  the  original  type  of  the  improved  Scottie. 
Considering  the  great  number  of  strains  that  have  been  pre- 
served by  sporting  families  and  maintained  in  more  or  less 
purity  to  type,  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  a  "  new  "  breed 
may  become  fashionable,  and  still  claim  the  honour  of  long 
descent.  They  may  not  in  all  cases  have  the  beauty  of  shape 
which  is  desired  on  the  show  bench  ;  but  it  is  well  to  remem- 
ber that  while  our  show  terriers  have  been  bred  to  the  highest 
perfection  we  still  possess  in  Great  Britain  a  separate  order  of 
"  earth  dogs  "  that  for  pluckily  following  the  fox  and  the  badger 
into  their  lairs  or  bolting  an  otter  from  his  holt  cannot  be 
excelled  all  the  world  over. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 
THE   WHITE    ENGLISH    TERRIER 

THIS  dog,  one  would  think,  ought,  by  the  dignified  title  which 
he  bears,  to  be  considered  a  representative  national  terrier, 
forming  a  fourth  in  the  distinctively  British  quartette  whose 
other  members  are  the  Scottish,  the  Irish,  and  the  Welsh 
Terriers.  Possibly  in  the  early  days  when  Pearson  and  Roo- 
croft  bred  him  to  perfection  it  was  hoped  and  intended  that 
he  should  become  a  breed  typical  of  England.  He  is  still  the 
only  terrier  who  owns  the  national  name,  but  he  has  long  ago 
yielded  pride  of  place  to  the  Fox-terrier,  and  it  is  the  case  that 
the  best  specimens  of  his  race  are  bred  north  of  the  border, 
while,  instead  of  being  the  most  popular  dog  in  the  land,  he  is 
actually  one  of  the  most  neglected  and  the  most  seldom  seen. 
At  the  Kennel  Club  Show  of  1909  there  was  not  a  single 
specimen  of  the  breed  on  view,  nor  was  one  to  be  found  at 
the  recent  shows  at  Edinburgh,  Birmingham,  Manchester, 
or  Islington,  nor  at  the  National  Terrier  Show  at  Westminster. 
It  is  a  pity  that  so  smart  and  beautiful  a  dog  should  be  suffered 
to  fall  into  such  absolute  neglect.  One  wonders  what  the 
reason  of  it  can  be.  Possibly  it  is  that  the  belief  still  prevails 
that  he  is  of  delicate  constitution,  and  is  not  gifted  with  a 
great  amount  of  intelligence  or  sagacity  ;  there  is  no  doubt, 
however,  that  a  potent  factor  in  hastening  the  decline  is  to  be 
found  in  the  edict  against  cropping.  Neither  the  White 
Terrier  nor  the  Manchester  Terrier  has  since  been  anything 
like  so  popular  as  they  both  were  before  April,  1898,  when  the 
Kennel  Club  passed  the  law  that  dogs'  ears  must  not  be 
cropped. 

191 


192        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Writers  on  canine  history,  and  Mr.  Rawdon  Lee  among  the 
number,  tell  us  that  the  English  White  Terrier  is  a  compara- 
tively new  breed,  and  that  there  is  no  evidence  to  show  where 
he  originally  sprang  from,  who  produced  him,  or  for  what 
reason  he  was  introduced.  His  existence  as  a  distinct  breed 
is  dated  back  no  longer  than  forty  years.  This  is  about  the 
accepted  age  of  most  of  our  named  English  terriers.  Half  a 
century  ago,  before  the  institution  of  properly  organised  dog 
shows  drew  particular  attention  to  the  differentiation  of  breeds, 
the  generic  term  "  terrier  "  without  distinction  was  applied 
to  all "  earth  dogs,"  and  the  consideration  of  colour  and  size  was 
the  only  common  rule  observed  in  breeding.  But  it  would 
not  be  difficult  to  prove  that  a  white  terrier  resembling  the 
one  now  under  notice  existed  in  England  as  a  separate  variety 
many  generations  anterior  to  the  period  usually  assigned  to 
its  recognition. 

In  the  National  Portrait  Gallery  there  is  a  portrait  of  Mary 
of  Modena,  Queen  Consort  of  James  II.,  painted  in  1670  by 
William  Wissing,  who  has  introduced  at  the  Queen's  side  a 
terrier  that  is  undoubtedly  of  this  type.  The  dog  has  slight 
brown  or  brindle  markings  on  the  back,  as  many  English 
White  Terriers  have,  and  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  it  is  of  the 
breed  from  which  this  variety  is  descended. 

Apart  from  colour  there  is  not  a  great  difference  between 
the  White  English  Terrier  and  the  Manchester  Black  and 
Tan.  But  although  they  are  of  similar  shape  and  partake 
much  of  the  same  general  character,  yet  there  is  the  distinction 
that  in  the  black  and  tan  the  conservation  of  type  is  stronger 
and  more  noticeable  than  in  the  white,  in  which  the  correct 
shape  and  action  are  difficult  to  obtain.  It  ought  naturally 
to  be  easier  to  breed  a  pure  white  dog  from  white  parents  than 
to  breed  correctly  marked  and  well  tanned  puppies  from  per- 
fect black  and  tans  ;  but  the  efforts  of  many  breeders  do  not 
seem  to  support  such  a  theory  in  connection  with  the  English 
Terrier,  whose  litters  frequently  show  the  blemish  of  a  spot 
of  brindle  or  russet.  These  spots  usually  appear  behind  the 


THE  WHITE  ENGLISH  TERRIER       193 

ears  or  on  the  neck,  and  are  of  course  a  disfigurement  on  a 
dog  whose  coat  to  be  perfect  should  be  of  an  intense  and 
brilliant  white.  It  appears  to  be  equally  difficult  to  breed 
one  which,  while  having  the  desired  purity  of  colour,  is  also 
perfect  in  shape  and  terrier  character.  It  is  to  be  noted, 
too,  that  many  otherwise  good  specimens  are  deaf — a  fault 
which  seriously  militates  against  the  dog's  possibilities  as  a 
companion  or  as  a  watch. 

Birmingham  and  Manchester  were  the  localities  in  which  the 
English  Terrier  was  most  popular  forty  years  ago,  but  it  was 
Mr.  Frederick  White,  of  Clapham,  who  bred  all  the  best  of  the 
white  variety  and  who  made  it  popular  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  London.  His  terriers  were  of  a  strain  founded  by  a  dog 
named  King  Dick,  and  in  1863  he  exhibited  a  notable  team  in 
Laddie,  Fly,  Teddie,  and  Nettle.  Mr.  S.  E.  Shirley,  M.P.,  was 
attracted  to  the  breed,  and  possessed  many  good  examples, 
as  also  did  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Mellor  and  Mr.  J.  H.  Murchison. 
Mr.  Alfred  Benjamin's  Silvio  was  a  prominent  dog  in  1877. 

Silvio  was  bred  by  Mr.  James  Roocroft,  of  Bolton,  who 
owned  a  large  kennel  of  this  variety  of  terrier,  and  who  joined 
with  his  townsman,  Joe  Walker,  and  with  Bill  Pearson  in 
raising  the  breed  to  popularity  in  Lancashire.  Bill  Pearson 
was  the  breeder  of  Tim,  who  was  considered  the  best  terrier 
of  his  time,  a  dog  of  14  lb.,  with  a  brilliant  white  coat,  the 
darkest  of  eyes,  and  a  perfect  black  nose. 

It  is  apparent  that  the  Whippet  was  largely  used  as  a  cross 
with  the  English  Terrier,  which  may  account  to  a  great 
extent  for  the  decline  of  terrier  character  in  the  breed.  Wiser 
breeders  had  recourse  to  the  more  closely  allied  Bull-terrier ; 
Mr.  Shirley's  prize  winning  Purity  was  by  Tim  out  of  a  Bull- 
terrier  bitch,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  whatever  stamina 
remains  in  the  breed  has  been  supported  by  this  cross. 

The  following  is  the  description  laid  down  by  the  White 
English  Terrier  Club  : — 

Head — Narrow,  long  and  level,  almost  flat  skull,  without  cheek 
muscles,  wedge-shaped,  well  filled  up  under  the  eyes,  tapering  to  the 

N 


194        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

nose,  and  not  lippy.  Eyes — Small  and  black,  set  fairly  close  together, 
and  oblong  in  shape.  Nose — Perfectly  black.  Ears — Cropped  and 
standing  perfectly  erect.  Neck  and  Shoulders — The  neck  should  be 
fairly  long  and  tapering  from  the  shoulders  to  the  head,  with  sloping 
shoulders,  the  neck  being  free  from  throatiness,  and  slightly  arched 
at  the  occiput.  Chest — Narrow  and  deep.  Body — Short  and  curving 
upwards  at  the  loins,  sprung  out  behind  the  shoulders,  back  slightly 
arched  at  loins,  and  falling  again  at  the  joining  of  the  tail  to  the  same 
height  as  the  shoulders.  Legs — Perfectly  straight  and  well  under  the 
body,  moderate  in  bone,  and  of  proportionate  length.  Feet — Feet 
nicely  arched,  with  toes  set  well  together,  and  more  inclined  to  be  round 
than  hare-footed.  Tall — Moderate  length,  and  set  on  where  the  arch  of 
the  back  ends,  thick  where  it  joins  the  body,  tapering  to  a  point,  and 
not  carried  higher  than  the  back.  Coat — Close,  hard,  short,  and  glossy. 
Colour — Pure  white,  coloured  marking  to  disqualify.  Condition — 
Flesh  and  muscles  to  be  hard  and  firm.  Weight — Froni  12  Ib.  to  20  Ib. 


CHAPTER    XXX 
THE    BLACK   AND    TAN    TERRIER 

THE  Black  and  Tan,  or  Manchester,  Terrier  as  we  know  him 
to-day  is  a  comparatively  new  variety,  and  he  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  original  terrier  with  tan  and  black 
colouring  which  was  referred  to  by  Dr.  Caius  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  which  was  at  that  time  used  for  going  to  ground 
and  driving  out  badgers  and  foxes. 

Formerly  there  was  but  little  regard  paid  to  colour  and 
markings,  and  there  was  a  considerably  greater  proportion  of 
tan  in  the  coat  than  there  is  at  the  present  day,  while  the  fancy 
markings,  such  as  pencilled  toes,  thumb  marks,  and  kissing 
spots  were  not  cultivated.  The  general  outline  of  the  dog, 
too,  was  less  graceful  and  altogether  coarser. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  chief 
accomplishment  of  this  terrier  was  rat-killing.  There  are  some 
extraordinary  accounts  of  his  adroitness,  as  well  as  courage, 
in  destroying  these  vermin.  The  feats  of  a  dog  called  Billy 
are  recorded.  He  was  matched  to  destroy  one  hundred  large 
rats  in  eight  minutes  and  a  half.  The  rats  were  brought  into 
the  ring  in  bags,  and  as  soon  as  the  number  was  complete 
Billy  was  put  over  the  railing  into  their  midst.  In  six 
minutes  and  thirty-five  seconds  they  were  all  destroyed.  In 
another  match  he  killed  the  same  number  in  six  minutes 
and  thirteen  seconds. 

It  was  a  popular  terrier  in  Lancashire,  and  it  was  in  this 
county  that  the  refining  process  in  his  shape  and  colouring 
was  practised,  and  where  he  came  by  the  name  of  the 
Manchester  Terrier. 


196        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Like  the  White  English  Terriers  the  Black  and  Tan  has  fallen 
on  evil  days.  It  is  not  a  popular  dog  among  fanciers,  and 
although  many  good  ones  may  be  seen  occasionally  about  the 
streets  the  breed  suffers  from  want  of  the  care  and  attention 
that  are  incidental  to  the  breeding  and  rearing  of  dogs  intended 
for  competition  at  shows. 

There  are  many  who  hold  the  opinion  that  one  of  the  chief 
reasons  for  the  decadence  in  the  popularity  of  the  Black  and 
Tan  Terrier,  notwithstanding  its  many  claims  to  favour,  is  to 
be  found  in  the  loss  of  that  very  alert  appearance  which  was 
a  general  characteristic  before  the  Kennel  Club  made  it  illegal 
to  crop  the  ears  of  such  as  were  intended  for  exhibition.  It 
must  be  admitted  that  until  very  recently  there  was  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  truth  in  the  prevalent  opinion,  inasmuch 
as  a  rather  heavy  ear,  if  carried  erect,  was  the  best  material 
to  work  upon,  and  from  which  to  produce  the  long,  fine,  and 
upright,  or  "  pricked  "  effect  which  was  looked  upon  as  being 
the  correct  thing  in  a  cropped  dog  ;  hence  it  followed  that  no 
care  was  taken  to  select  breeding  stock  likely  to  produce  the 
small,  semi-erect,  well-carried,  and  thin  ears  required  to-day, 
consequently  when  the  edict  forbidding  the  use  of  scissors 
came  into  force  there  were  very  few  small-eared  dogs  to  be 
found.  It  has  taken  at  least  ten  or  a  dozen  years  to  eradicate 
the  mischief,  and  even  yet  the  cure  is  not  complete. 

Another  factor  which  has  had  a  bad  effect  is  the  belief, 
which  has  become  much  too  prevalent,  that  a  great  deal  of 
"  faking  "  has  been  practised  in  the  past,  and  that  it  has  been 
so  cleverly  performed  as  to  deceive  the  most  observant  judge, 
whereby  a  very  artificial  standard  of  quality  has  been  obtained. 

The  standard  of  points  by  which  the  breed  should  be 
judged  is  as  follows  :— 

General  Appearance — A  terrier  calculated  to  take  his  own  part  in  the 
rat  pit,  and  not  of  the  Whippet  type.  Head — The  head  should  be  long, 
flat,  and  narrow,  level  and  wedge-shaped,  without  showing  cheek 
muscles  ;  well  filled  up  under  the  eyes,  with  tapering,  tightly-lipped 
jaws  and  level  teeth.  Eyes — The  eyes  should  be  very  small,  sparkling, 
and  bright,  set  fairly  close  together  and  oblong  in  shape.  Nose — Black. 


THE  BLACK  AND  TAN  TERRIER      197 

Ears — The  correct  carriage  of  ears  is  a  debatable  point  since  cropping 
has  been  abolished.  Probably  in  the  large  breed  the  drop  ear  is  correct, 
but  for  Toys  either  erect  or  semi-erect  carriage  of  the  ear  is  most 
desirable.  Neck  and  Shoulders — The  neck  should  be  fairly  long  and 
tapering  from  the  shoulders  to  the  head,  with  sloping  shoulders,  the 
neck  being  free  from  throatiness  and  slightly  arched  at  the  occiput. 
Chest — The  chest  should  be  narrow  but  deep.  Body — The  body  should 
be  moderately  short  and  curving  upwards  at  the  loin  ;  ribs  well  sprung, 
back  slightly  arched  at  the  loin  and  falling  again  at  the  joining  of  the 
tail  to  the  same  height  as  the  shoulders.  Feet — The  feet  should  be 
more  inclined  to  be  cat-  than  hare-footed.  Tail — The  tail  should  be  of 
moderate  length  and  set  on  where  the  arch  of  the  back  ends  ;  thick 
where  it  joins  the  body,  tapering  to  a  point,  and  not  carried  higher 
than  the  back.  Coat — The  coat  should  be  close,  smooth,  short  and 
glossy.  Colour — The  coat  should  be  jet  black  and  rich  mahogany  tan, 
distributed  over  the  body  as  follows  :  On  the  head  the  muzzle  is  tanned 
to  the  nose,  which  with  the  nasal  bone  is  jet  black.  There  is  also  a 
bright  spot  on  each  cheek  and  above  each  eye  ;  the  underjaw  and  throat 
are  tanned,  and  the  hair  inside  the  ears  is  the  same  colour ;  the  fore-legs 
tanned  up  to  the  knee,  with  black  lines  (pencil  marks)  up  each  toe, 
and  a  black  mark  (thumb  mark)  above  the  foot ;  inside  the  hind-legs 
tanned,  but  divided  with  black  at  the  hock  joints  ;  and  under  the  tail 
also  tanned  ;  and  so  is  the  vent,  but  only  sufficiently  to  be  easily 
covered  by  the  tail ;  also  slightly  tanned  on  each  side  of  the  chest. 
Tan  outside  the  hind-legs — commonly  called  breeching — is  a  serious 
defect.  In  all  cases  the  black  should  not  run  into  the  tan,  nor  vice  versa, 
but  the  division  between  the  two  colours  should  be  well  defined. 
Weight — For  toys  not  exceeding  7  Ib.  ;  for  the  large  breed  from  10  to 
20  Ib.  is  most  desirable. 


CHAPTER    XXXI 
THE    BULL-TERRIER 

THE  Bull-terrier  is  now  a  gentlemanly  and  respectably  owned 
dog,  wearing  an  immaculate  white  coat  and  a  burnished 
silver  collar  ;  he  has  dealings  with  aristocracy,  and  is  no  longer 
contemned  for  keeping  bad  company.  But  a  generation  or 
two  ago  he  was  commonly  the  associate  of  rogues  and  vaga- 
bonds, skulking  at  the  heels  of  such  members  of  society  as  Mi . 
William  Sikes,  whom  he  accompanied  at  night  on  darksome 
business  to  keep  watch  outside  while  Bill  was  within,  crack- 
ing the  crib.  In  those  days  the  dog's  ears  were  closely 
cropped,  not  for  the  sake  of  embellishment,  but  as  a  measure 
of  protection  against  the  fangs  of  his  opponent  in  the  pit  when 
money  was  laid  upon  the  result  of  a  well-fought  fight  to  the 
death.  For  fighting  was  the  acknowledged  vocation  of  his 
order,  and  he  was  bred  and  trained  to  the  work.  He  knew 
something  of  rats,  too,  and  many  of  his  kind  were  famed  in  the 
land  for  their  prowess  in  this  direction.  Jimmy  Shaw's  Jacko 
could  finish  off  sixty  rats  in  three  minutes,  and  on  one  occasion 
made  a  record  by  killing  a  thousand  in  a  trifle  over  an  hour 
and  a  half. 

The  breed  is  sufficiently  modern  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to 
its  derivation.  In  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century 
attention  was  being  directed  to  the  improvement  of  terriers 
generally,  and  new  types  were  sought  for.  They  were  alert, 
agile  little  dogs,  excellent  for  work  in  the  country ;  but 
the  extravagant  Corinthians  of  the  time — the  young  gamesters 
who  patronised  the  prize-ring  and  the  cock-pit — desired  to 
have  a  dog  who  should  do  something  more  than  kill  rats,  or 


THE  BULL-TERRIER  199 

unearth  the  fox,  or  bolt  the  otter  :  which  accomplishments 
afforded  no  amusement  to  the  Town.  They  wanted  a  dog 
combining  all  the  dash  and  gameness  of  the  terrier  with  the 
heart  and  courage  and  fighting  instinct  of  the  Bulldog. 
Wherefore  the  terrier  and  the  Bulldog  were  crossed.  A  large 
type  of  terrier  was  chosen,  and  this  would  be  the  smooth-coated 
Black  and  Tan,  or  the  early  English  White  Terrier  ;  but  pro- 
bably both  were  used  indifferently,  and  for  a  considerable 
period.  The  result  gave  the  young  bucks  what  they  required  : 
a  dog  that  was  at  once  a  determined  vermin  killer  and  an 
intrepid  fighter,  upon  whose  skill  in  the  pit  wagers  might  with 
confidence  be  laid. 

The  animal,  however,  was  neither  a  true  terrier  nor  a  true 
Bulldog,  but  an  uncompromising  mongrel ;  albeit  he  served 
his  immediate  purpose,  and  was  highly  valued  for  his  pertina- 
city, if  not  for  his  appearance.  In  1806  Lord  Camelford 
possessed  one  for  which  he  had  paid  the  very  high  price  of 
eighty-four  guineas,  and  which  he  presented  to  Belcher,  the 
pugilist.  This  dog  was  figured  in  The  Sporting  Magazine  of 
the  time.  He  was  a  short-legged,  thick-set,  fawn-coloured 
specimen,  with  closely  amputated  ears,  a  broad  blunt  muzzle, 
and  a  considerable  lay-back  ;  and  this  was  the  kind  of  dog 
which  continued  for  many  years  to  be  known  as  the  Bull-and- 
terrier.  He  was  essentially  a  man's  dog,  and  was  vastly  in 
favour  among  the  undergraduates  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 

Gradually  the  Bulldog  element,  at  first  pronounced,  was 
reduced  to  something  like  a  fourth  degree,  and,  with  the 
terrier  character  predominating,  the  head  was  sharpened,  the 
limbs  were  lengthened  and  straightened  until  little  remained  of 
the  Bulldog  strain  but  the  dauntless  heart  and  the  fearless 
fighting  spirit,  together  with  the  frequent  reversion  to  brindle 
colouring,  which  was  the  last  outward  and  visible  characteristic 
to  disappear. 

Within  the  remembrance  of  men  not  yet  old  the  Bull-terrier 
was  as  much  marked  with  fawn,  brindle,  or  even  black,  as  are 
the  Fox-terriers  of  our  own  period.  But  fifty  years  or  so  ago 


200        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

white  was  becoming  frequent,  and  was  much  admired.  A 
strain  of  pure  white  was  bred  by  James  Hinks,  a  well-known 
dog-dealer  of  Birmingham,  and  it  is  no  doubt  to  Hinks  that 
we  are  indebted  for  the  elegant  Bull-terrier  of  the  type  that 
we  know  to-day.  These  Birmingham  dogs  showed  a  refine- 
ment and  grace  and  an  absence  of  the  crook-legs  and  coloured 
patches  which  betrayed  that  Hinks  had  been  using  an  out- 
cross  with  the  English  White  Terrier,  thus  getting  away  further 
still  from  the  Bulldog. 

With  the  advent  of  the  Hinks  strain  in  1862  the  short-faced 
dog  fell  into  disrepute,  and  pure  white  became  the  accepted 
colour.  There  was  a  wide  latitude  in  the  matter  of  weight. 
If  all  other  points  were  good,  a  dog  might  weigh  anything 
between  10  and  38  Ibs.,  but  classes  were  usually  divided  for 
those  above  and  those  below  16  Ib.  The  type  became  fixed, 
and  it  was  ruled  that  the  perfect  Bull-terrier  "  must  have  a 
long  head,  wide  between  the  ears,  level  jaws,  a  small  black  eye, 
a  large  black  nose,  a  long  neck,  straight  fore-legs,  a  small 
hare  foot,  a  narrow  chest,  deep  brisket,  powerful  loin,  long 
body,  a  tail  set  and  carried  low,  a  fine  coat,  and  small  ears  well 
hung  and  dropping  forward." 

Idstone,  who  wrote  this  description  in  1872,  earnestly 
insisted  that  the  ears  of  all  dogs  should  be  left  uncut  and  as 
Nature  made  them  ;  but  for  twenty  years  thereafter  the  ears 
of  the  Bull-terrier  continued  to  be  cropped  to  a  thin,  erect 
point.  The  practice  of  cropping,  it  is  true,  was  even 
then  illegal  and  punishable  by  law,  but,  although  there  were 
occasional  convictions  under  the  Cruelty  to  Animals  Act, 
the  dog  owners  who  admired  the  alertness  and  perkiness  of 
the  cut  ear  ignored  the  risk  they  ran,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
Kennel  Club  took  resolute  action  against  the  practice  that 
cropping  was  entirely  abandoned. 

The  president  of  the  Kennel  Club,  Mr.  S.  E.  Shirley,  M.P., 
had  himself  been  a  prominent  owner  and  breeder  of  the  Bull- 
terrier.  His  Nelson,  bred  by  Joe  Willock,  was  celebrated 
as  an  excellent  example  of  the  small-sized  terrier,  at  a  time, 


THE  BULL-TERRIER  201 

however,  when  there  were  not  a  great  many  competitors  of  the 
highest  quality.  His  Dick,  also,  was  a  remarkably  good  dog. 
Earlier  specimens  which  have  left  their  names  in  the  history  of 
the  breed  were  Hinks's  Old  Dutch,  who  was,  perhaps,  even  a 
more  perfect  terrier  than  the  same  breeder's  Madman  and 
Puss. 

Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  have  always  been  noted  for  good 
Bull-terriers,  and  the  best  of  the  breed  have  usually  been  pro- 
duced in  the  neighbourhoods  of  Leeds,  Bradford,  Manchester, 
Bolton,  and  Liverpool,  while  Birmingham  also  shared  in  the 
reputation.  At  one  time  Londoners  gave  careful  attention  to 
the  breed,  stimulated  thereto  by  the  encouragement  of 
Mr.  Shirley  and  the  success  of  Alfred  George. 

Of  recent  years  the  Bull-terrier  has  not  been  a  great  favourite, 
and  it  has  sadly  deteriorated  in  type  ;  but  there  are  signs 
that  the  variety  is  again  coming  into  repute,  and  within  the 
past  two  years  many  admirable  specimens — as  nearly  perfect, 
perhaps,  as  many  that  won  honour  in  former  generations — 
have  been  brought  into  prominence.  Among  dogs,  for 
example,  there  are  Mr.  E.  T.  Pimm's  Sweet  Lavender,  Dr. 
M.  Amsler's  MacGregor,  Mr.  Chris  Houlker's  His  Highness, 
and  Mr.  J.  Haynes'  Bloomsbury  Young  King.  Among  bitches 
there  are  Mrs.  Kipping's  Delphinium  Wild  and  Desdemona, 
Mr.  Hornby's  Lady  Sweetheart,  Mr.  W.  Mayor's  Mill  Girl, 
Mr.  T.  Gannaway's  Charlwood  Belle,  Dr.  J.  W.  Low's  Bess  of 
Hardwicke,  and  Mrs.  E.  G.  Money's  Eastbourne  Tarqueenia. 
While  these  and  such  as  these  beautiful  and  typical  terriers 
are  being  bred  and  exhibited  there  is  no  cause  to  fear  a  further 
decline  in  popularity  for  a  variety  so  eminently  engaging. 

The  club  description  is  as  follows  : — 

General  Appearance — The  general  appearance  of  the  Bull-terrier 
is  that  of  a  symmetrical  animal,  the  embodiment  of  agility,  grace, 
elegance,  and  determination.  Head — The  head  should  be  long,  flat, 
and  wide  between  the  ears,  tapering  to  the  nose,  without  cheek  muscles. 
There  should  be  a  slight  indentation  down  the  face,  without  a  stop 
between  the  eyes.  The  jaws  should  be  long  and  very  powerful,  with  a 
large  black  nose  and  open  nostrils.  Eyes  small  and  very  black,  almond 
hape  preferred.  The  lips  should  meet  as  tightly  as  possible,  without 


202        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

a  fold.  The  teeth  should  be  regular  in  shape,  and  should  meet  exactly  ; 
any  deviation,  such  as  pigjaw,  or  being  underhung,  is  a  great  fault. 
Ears — The  ears,  when  cropped,  should  be  done  scientifically  and  accord- 
ing to  fashion.  Cropped  dogs  cannot  win  a  prize  at  shows  held  under 
Kennel  Club  rules,  if  born  after  March  31st,  1895.  When  not  cropped, 
it  should  be  a  semi-erect  ear,  but  others  do  not  disqualify.  Neck — 
The  neck  should  be  long  and  slightly  arched,  nicely  set  into  the  shoulders 
tapering  to  the  head  without  any  loose  skin,  as  found  in  the  Bulldog. 
Shoulders — The  shoulders  should  be  strong,  muscular,  and  slanting  ; 
the  chest  wide  and  deep,  with  ribs  well  rounded.  Back — The  back 
short  and  muscular,  but  not  out  of  proportion  to  the  general  contour 
of  the  animal.  Legs — The  fore-legs  should  be  perfectly  straight,  with 
well-developed  muscles  ;  not  out  at  shoulder,  but  set  on  the  racing 
lines,  and  very  strong  at  the  pastern  joints.  The  hind-legs  are  long 
and,  in  proportion  to  the  fore-legs,  muscular,  with  good  strong,  straight 
hocks,  well  let  down  near  the  ground.  Feet — The  feet  more  resemble 
those  of  a  cat  than  a  hare.  Colour — Should  be  white.  Coat — Short, 
close,  and  stiff  to  the  touch,  with  a  fine  gloss.  Tail — Short  in  pro- 
portion to  the  size  of  the  dog,  set  on  very  low  down,  thick  where  it 
joins  the  body,  and  tapering  to  a  fine  point.  It  should  be  carried  at  an 
angle  of  about  45  degrees,  without  curl,  and  never  over  the  back. 
Height  at  Shoulders— From  12  to  18  inches.  Weight— From  15  Ib. 
to  50  Ib. 


CHAPTER    XXXII 
THE    SMOOTH    FOX-TERRIER 

To  attempt  to  set  forth  the  origin  of  the  Fox-terrier  as  we 
know  him  to-day  would  be  of  no  interest  to  the  general  reader, 
and  would  entail  the  task  of  tracing  back  the  several  hetero- 
geneous sources  from  which  he  sprang.  It  is  a  matter  of  very 
little  moment  whether  he  owes  his  origin  to  the  white  English 
Terrier  or  to  the  Bull-terrier  crossed  with  the  Black  and  Tan, 
or  whether  he  has  a  mixture  of  Beagle  blood  in  his  composi- 
tion, so  it  will  suffice  to  take  him  as  he  emerged  from  the 
chaos  of  mongreldom  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,, 
rescued  in  the  first  instance  by  the  desire  of  huntsmen  or 
masters  of  well-known  packs  to  produce  a  terrier  somewhat 
in  keeping  with  their  hounds  ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  to  the- 
advent  of  dog  shows.  Prior  to  that  time  any  dog  capable, 
from  his  size,  conformation,  and  pluck,  of  going  to  ground  and 
bolting  his  fox  was  a  Fox-terrier,  were  he  rough  or  smooth,, 
black,  brown,  or  white. 

The  starting-point  of  the  modern  Fox-terrier  dates  from 
about  the  'sixties,  and  no  pedigrees  before  that  are  worth 
considering. 

From  three  dogs  then  well  known — Old  Jock,  Trap,  and 
Tartar — he  claims  descent  ;  and,  thanks  to  the  Fox-terrier 
Club  and  the  great  care  taken  in  compiling  their  stud-books, 
he  can  be  brought  down  to  to-day.  Of  these  three  dogs  Old 
Jock  was  undoubtedly  more  of  a  terrier  than  the  others.  It  is, 
a  moot  point  whether  he  was  bred,  as  stated  in  most  records 
of  the  time,  by  Captain  Percy  Williams,  master  of  the  Rufford, 
or  by  Jack  Morgan,  huntsman  to  the  Grove ;  it  seems,. 

203 


204        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

however,  well  established  that  the  former  owned  his  sire,  also 
called  Jock,  and  that  his  dam,  Grove  Pepper,  was  the  property 
of  Morgan.  He  first  came  before  the  public  at  the  Birming- 
ham show  in  1862,  where,  shown  by  Mr.  Wootton,  of  Notting- 
ham, he  won  first  prize.  He  subsequently  changed  hands 
several  times,  till  he  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Murchison, 
in  whose  hands  he  died  in  the  •  early  'seventies.  He  was 
exhibited  for  the  last  time  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  1870,  and 
though  then  over  ten  years  old  won  second  to  the  same 
owner's  Trimmer.  At  his  best  he  was  a  smart,  well-baianced 
terrier,  with  perhaps  too  much  daylight  under  him,  and  want- 
ing somewhat  in  jaw  power ;  but  he  showed  far  less  of  the 
Bull-terrier  type  than  did  his  contemporary  Tartar. 

This  dog's  antecedents  were  very  questionable,  and  his 
breeder  is  given  as  Mr.  Stevenson,  of  Chester,  most  of  whose 
dogs  were  Bull-terriers  pure  and  simple,  save  that  they  had 
drop  ears  and  short  sterns,  being  in  this  respect  unlike  old 
Trap,  whose  sire  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  a  Black 
and  Tan  Terrier.  This  dog  came  from  the  Oakley  Kennels,  and 
he  was  supposed  to  have  been  bred  by  a  miller  at  Leicester. 
However  questionable  the  antecedents  of  these  three  terriers 
may  have  been,  they  are  undoubtedly  the  progenitors  of  our 
present  strain,  and  from  them  arose  the  kennels  that  we 
have  to-day. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  Mr.  Murchison,  and  to  him  we  owe 
in  a  great  measure  the  start  in  popularity  which  since  the 
foundation  of  his  large  kennel  the  Fox-terrier  has  enjoyed. 
Mr.  Murchison 's  chief  opponents  in  the  early  'seventies 
were  Mr.  Gibson,  of  Brockenhurst,  with  his  dogs  Tyke  and 
Old  Foiler  ;  Mr.  Luke  Turner,  of  Leicester,  with  his  Belvoir 
strain,  which  later  gave  us  Ch.  Brockenhurst  Joe,  Ch.  Olive 
and  her  son,  Ch.  Spice  ;  Mr.  Theodore  Bassett,  Mr.  Allison, 
and,  a  year  or  so  later,  Mr.  Frederick  Burbidge,  the  Messrs. 
Clarke,  Mr.  Tinne,  Mr.  Francis  Redmond,  and  Mr.  Vicary. 
About  this  time  a  tremendous  impetus  was  given  to  the  breed 
by  the  formation,  in  1876,  of  the  Fox-terrier  Club,  which 


THE  SMOOTH  FOX-TERRIER  205 

owed  its  inception  to  Mr.  Harding  Cox  and  a  party  of  enthu- 
siasts seated  round  his  dinner  table  at  36,  Russell  Square, 
among  whom  were  Messrs.  Bassett,  Burbidge,  Doyle,  Allison, 
and  Redmond,  the  last  two  named  being  still  members  of  the 
club.  The  idea  was  very  warmly  welcomed,  a  committee 
formed,  and  a  scale  of  points  drawn  up  which,  with  but  one 
alteration,  is  in  vogue  to-day.  Every  prominent  exhibitor 
or  breeder  then,  and  with  few  exceptions  since,  has  been  a 
member,  and  the  club  is  by  far  the  strongest  of  all  specialist 
clubs. 

It  will  be  well  to  give  here  the  said  standard  of  points. 

Head  and  Ears — The  Skull  should  be  flat  and  moderately  narrow, 
and  gradually  decreasing  in  width  to  the  eyes.  Not  much  "  stop  " 
should  be  apparent,  but  there  should  be  more  dip  in  the  profile  between 
the  forehead  and  top  jaw  than  is  seen  in  the  case  of  a  Greyhound.  The 
Cheeks  must  not  be  full.  The  Ears  should  be  V-shaped  and  small,  of 
moderate  thickness,  and  dropping  forward  close  to  the  cheek,  not 
hanging  by  the  side  of  the  head  like  a  Foxhound's.  The  Jaw,  upper 
and  under,  should  be  strong  and  muscular  ;  should  be  of  fair  punishing 
strength,  but  not  so  in  any  way  to  resemble  the  Greyhound  or  modern 
English  Terrier.  There  should  not  be  much  falling  away  below  the 
eyes.  This  part  of  the  head,  should,  however,  be  moderately  chiselled 
out,  so  as  not  to  go  down  in  a  straight  line  like  a  wedge.  The  Nose, 
towards  which  the  muzzle  must  gradually  taper,  should  be  black. 
The  Eyes  should  be  dark  in  colour,  small,  and  rather  deep  set,  full  of 
flre,  life,  and  intelligence  ;  as  nearly  as  possible  circular  in  shape.  The 
Teeth  should  be  as  nearly  as  possible  level,  i.e.,  the  upper  teeth  on  the 
outside  of  the  lower  teeth.  Neck — Should  be  clean  and  muscular, 
without  throatiness,  of  fair  length,  and  gradually  widening  to  the 
shoulders.  Shoulders  and  Chest — The  Shoulders  should  be  long  and 
sloping,  well  laid  back,  fine  at  the  points,  and  clearly  cut  at  the 
withers.  The  Chest  deep  and  not  broad.  Back  and  Loin — The 
Back  should  be  short,  straight,  and  strong,  with  no  appear- 
ance of  slackness.  The  Loin  should  be  powerful  and  very  slightly 
arched.  The  fore  ribs  should  be  moderately  arched,  the  back  ribs 
deep ;  and  the  dog  should  be  well  ribbed  up.  Hind-quarters 
— Should  be  strong  and  muscular,  quite  free  from  droop  or  crouch; 
the  thighs  long  and  powerful  ;  hocks  near  the  ground,  the  dog 
standing  well  up  on  them  like  a  Foxhound,  and  not  straight  in  the 
stifle.  Stern — Should  be  set  on  rather  high,  and  carried  gaily,  but  not 
over  the  back  or  curled.  It  should  be  of  good  strength,  anything 
approaching  a  "  pipe-stopper "  tail  being  especially  objectionable. 
Legs  and  Feet — The  Legs  viewed  in  any  direction  must  be  straight, 
showing  little  or  no  appearance  of  an  ankle  in  front.  They  should  be 
strong  in  bone  throughout,  short  and  straight  to  pastern.  Both  fore 
and  hind  legs  should  be  carried  straight  forward  in  travelling,  the 


206        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

stifles  not  turned  outwards.  The  elbows  should  hang  perpendicular 
to  the  body,  working  free  of  the  side.  The  Feet  should  be  round, 
compact,  and  not  large.  The  soles  hard  and  tough.  The  toes  moderately 
arched,  and  turned  neither  in  nor  out.  Coat — Should  be  straight, 
flat,  smooth,  hard,  dense,  and  abundant.  The  belly  and  under  side 
of  the  thighs  should  not  be  bare.  As  regards  colour,  white  should 
predominate  ;  brindle,  red,  or  liver  markings  are  objectionable.  Other- 
wise this  point  is  of  little  or  no  importance.  Symmetry,  Size,  and 
Character — The  dog  must  present  a  general  gay,  lively,  and  active 
appearance  ;  bone  and  strength  in  a  small  compass  are  essentials  ; 
but  this  must  not  be  taken  to  mean  that  a  Fox-terrier  should  be 
cloggy,  or  in  any  way  coarse — speed  and  endurance  must  be  looked 
to  as  well  as  power,  and  the  symmetry  of  the  Foxhound  taken  as  a 
model.  The  terrier,  like  the  hound,  must  on  no  account  be  leggy,  nor 
must  he  be  too  short  in  the  leg.  He  should  stand  like  a  cleverly-made 
hunter,  covering  a  lot  of  ground,  yet  with  a  short  back,  as  before  stated. 
He  will  then  attain  the  highest  degree  of  propelling  power,  together 
with  the  greatest  length  of  stride  that  is  compatible  with  the  length  of 
his  body.  Weight  is  not  a  certain  criterion  of  a  terrier's  fitness  for 
his  work — general  shape,  size  and  contour  are  the  main  points  ;  and  if 
a  dog  can  gallop  and  stay,  and  follow  his  fox  up  a  drain,  it  matters 
little  what  his  weight  is  to  a  pound  or  so,  though,  roughly  speaking,  it 
may  be  said  he  should  not  scale  over  twenty  pounds  in  show  condition. 
DISQUALIFYING  POINTS  :  Nose— White,  cherry,  or  spotted  to  a 
considerable  extent  with  either  of  these  colours.  EATS — prick,  tulip, 
or  rose.  Mouth — much  overshot  or  much  undershot. 

In  order  to  give  some  idea  of  the  extraordinary  way  in  which 
the  Fox-terrier  took  the  public  taste,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
hark  back  and  give  a  rtsumi  of  the  principal  kennels  and 
exhibitors  to  whom  this  was  due.  In  the  year  in  which  the 
Fox-terrier  Club  was  formed,  Mr.  Fred  Burbidge,  at  one  time 
captain  of  the  Surrey  Eleven,  had  the  principal  kennels.  He 
was  the  pluckiest  buyer  of  his  day,  and  once  he  fancied  a  dog 
nothing  stopped  him  till  it  was  in  his  kennels.  He  bought 
Nimrod,  Dorcas,  Tweezers,  and  Nettle,  and  with  them  and 
other  discriminating  purchases  he  was  very  hard  to  beat  on 
the  show-bench.  Strange  to  say,  at  this  time  he  seemed 
unable  to  breed  a  good  dog,  and  determined  to  have  a  clear  out 
and  start  afresh.  A  few  brood  bitches  only  were  retained,  and 
the  kennels  moved  from  Champion  Hill  to  Hunton  Bridge,  in 
Hertfordshire.  From  thence  in  a  few  years  came  Bloom, 
Blossom,  Tweezers  II.,  Hunton  Baron,  Hunton  Bridegroom, 
and  a  host  of  others,  which  spread  the  fame  of  the  great 


THE  SMOOTH  FOX-TERRIER  207 

Hunton  strain.  When  the  kennel  was  dispersed  at  Mr. 
Burbidge's  untimely  death  in  1892,  the  dogs,  130  lots  in  all, 
were  sold  by  auction  and  realised  £1,800  ;  Hunton  Tartar 
fetched  £135,  Justice  £84,  Bliss  £jo,  and  Scramble  £65. 

Messrs.  A.  H.  and  C.  Clarke  were  at  this  time  quietly  found- 
ing a  kennel,  which  perhaps  has  left  its  mark  more  indelibly 
on  the  breed  than  any  before  or  since.  Brockenhurst  Rally 
was  a  most  fortunate  purchase  from  his  breeder,  Mr.  Herbert 
Peel,  and  was  by  Brockenhurst  Joe  from  a  Bitters  bitch,  as 
from  this  dog  came  Roysterer  and  Ruler,  their  dam  being 
Jess,  an  old  Turk  bitch  ;  and  from  Rollick  by  Buff  was  bred 
Ruse  and  Ransome.  Roysterer  was  the  sire  of  Result,  by 
many  considered  the  best  Fox-terrier  dog  of  all  time ;  and 
Result's  own  daughter  Rachel  was  certainly  the  best  bitch 
of  her  day.  All  these  terriers  had  intense  quality  and  style, 
due  for  the  most  part  to  inbreeding.  Very  little  new  blood 
was  introduced,  with  an  inevitable  result ;  and  by  degrees 
the  kennel  died  out. 

No  history  of  the  Fox-terrier  could  be  complete  without 
mention  of  Mr.  Francis  Redmond  and  his  kennel,  going  back, 
as  it  does,  to  the  Murchison  and  Luke  Turner  period,  and 
being  still  to-day  the  most  prominent  one  in  existence.  We 
can  date  his  earlier  efforts  from  his  purchase  of  Deacon 
Nettle,  the  dam  of  Deacon  Ruby  ;  Dusty  was  the  dam  of 
Ch.  Diamond  Dust  ;  Dickon  he  had  from  Luke  Turner,  and  in 
this  dog  we  have  one  of  the  foundation-stones  of  the  Fox- 
terrier  stud-book,  as  he  was  the  sire  of  Splinter,  who  in  his 
turn  was  the  sire  of  Vesuvian. 

Mr.  Redmond's  next  great  winners  were  D'Orsay  and 
Dominie,  two  sterling  good  terriers,  the  former  of  which  was  the 
sire  of  Dame  D'Orsay,  who,  bred  to  Despoiler,  produced  Dame 
Fortune,  the  mother  of  Donna  Fortuna,  whose  other  parent 
was  Dominie.  Donna  Fortuna,  considered  universally  the 
best  specimen  of  a  Fox-terrier  ever  produced,  had  from  the 
first  a  brilliant  career,  for  though  fearlessly  shown  on  all 
occasions  she  never  knew  defeat.  Some  took  exception  to 


208        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

her  want  of  what  is  called  terrier  character,  and  others  would 
have  liked  her  a  shade  smaller  ;  but  we  have  still  to  see  the 
Fox-terrier,  taken  all  round,  that  could  beat  her. 

As  an  outcross  Mr.  Redmond  purchased  Dreadnought,  one 
of  the  highest  class  dogs  seen  for  many  years,  but  had  very 
bad  luck  with  him,  an  accident  preventing  him  from  being 
shown  and  subsequently  causing  his  early  death.  We  must 
not  forget  Duchess  of  Durham  or  Dukedom  ;  but  to  enumerate 
all  Mr.  Redmond's  winners  it  would  be  necessary  to  take  the 
catalogues  of  all  the  important  shows  held  for  the  past  thirty 
years.  To  no  one  do  we  owe  so  much  ;  no  one  has  made 
such  a  study  of  the  breed,  reducing  it  almost  to  a  science,  with 
the  result  that  even  outside  his  kennels  no  dog  has  any 
chance  of  permanently  holding  his  own  unless  he  has  an 
ample  supply  of  the  blood. 

The  great  opponent  of  the  Totteridge  Kennel  up  to  some 
few  years  ago  was  unquestionably  Mr.  Vicary,  of  Newton 
Abbot,  who  laid  the  foundation  of  his  kennel  with  Vesuvian, 
who  was  by  Splinter,  out  of  Kohinor,  and  from  whom  came  the 
long  line  of  winners,  Venio-Vesuvienne,  Vice-Regal,  Valuator, 
Visto,  and  Veracity.  Fierce  war  raged  round  these  kennels, 
each  having  its  admiring  and  devoted  adherents,  until  one  side 
would  not  look  at  anything  but  a  Redmond  Terrier  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  Vicary  type.  The  Newton  Abbot  strain  was 
remarkable  for  beautiful  heads  and  great  quality,  but  was 
faulty  in  feet  and  not  absolute  as  to  fronts,  each  of  which 
properties  was  a  sine  qua  non  amongst  the  Totteridge  dogs. 
Latter-day  breeders  have  recognised  that  in  the  crossing  of 
the  two  perfection  lies,  and  Mr.  Redmond  himself  has  not 
hesitated  to  go  some  way  on  the  same  road. 

It  is  fortunate  for  the  breed  of  Fox-terriers  how  great  a 
hold  the  hobby  takes,  and  how  enthusiastically  its  votaries 
pursue  it,  otherwise  we  should  not  have  amongst  us  men  like 
Mr.  J.  C.  Tinne,  whose  name  is  now  a  household  word  in  the 
Fox-terrier  world,  as  it  has  been  any  time  for  the  past  thirty 
years.  Close  proximity,  in  those  days,  to  Mr.  Gibson  at  Brock- 


FOX  TERRIERS 

1.  MRS.  J.  H.  BROWN'S  CH.  CAPTAIN  DOUBLE 

2.  MR.  J.  C.  TINNE'S  CH.  THE  SYLPH 

,3.     MR.  T.  J.  STEPHENS'  WIRE-HAIR  CH.  SYLVAN  RESULT 


THE  SMOOTH  FOX-TERRIER  209 

enhurst  made  him  all  the  keener,  and  one  of  his  first  terriers 
was  a  bitch  of  that  blood  by  Bitters.  With  daughters  of 
Old  Foiler  he  did  very  well — to  wit,  Pungent,  sister  to  Dorcas, 
while  through  Terror  we  get  Banquet,  the  granddam  of  Des- 
polier.  He  purchased  from  Mr.  Redmond  both  Deacon 
Diamond  and  Daze,  each  of  whom  was  bred  to  Spice,  and 
produced  respectively  Auburn  and  Brockenhurst  Dainty ; 
from  the  latter  pair  sprang  Lottery  and  Worry,  the  granddam 
of  Tom  Newcome,  to  whom  we  owe  Brockenhurst  Agnes, 
Brockenhurst  Dame,  and  Dinah  Morris,  and  consequently 
Adam  Bede  and  Hester  Sorrel. 

It  has  always  been  Mr.  Tinne's  principle  to  aim  at  produc- 
ing the  best  terrier  he  could,  irrespective  of  the  fads  of  this 
kennel  or  that,  and  his  judgment  has  been  amply  vindicated, 
as  the  prize  lists  of  every  large  show  will  testify.  And  to-day 
he  is  the  proud  possessor  of  Ch.  The  Sylph,  who  has  beaten 
every  one  of  her  sex,  and  is  considered  by  many  about  the 
best  Fox-terrier  ever  seen. 

No  name  is  better  known  or  more  highly  respected  by  dog 
owners  than  that  of  the  late  Mr.  J.  A.  Doyle,  as  a  writer, 
breeder,  judge,  or  exhibitor  of  Fox-terriers.  Whilst  breeding 
largely  from  his  own  stock,  he  was  ever  on  the  look-out  for  a 
likely  outcross.  He  laid  great  store  on  terrier  character,  and 
was  a  stickler  for  good  coats  ;  a  point  much  neglected  in  the 
present-day  dog. 

Amongst  the  smaller  kennels  is  that  of  Mr.  Reeks,  now 
mostly  identified  with  Oxonian  and  that  dog's  produce,  but 
he  will  always  be  remembered  as  the  breeder  of  that  beautiful 
terrier,  Avon  Minstrel.  Mr.  Arnold  Gillett  has  had  a  good 
share  of  fortune's  favours,  as  the  Ridgewood  dogs  testify  ; 
whilst  the  Messrs. Powell,  Castle,  Glynn,  Dale,  and  Crosthwaite 
have  all  written  their  names  on  the  pages  of  Fox-terrier 
history.  Ladies  have  ever  been  supporters  of  the  breed, 
and  no  one  more  prominently  so  than  Mrs.  Bennett  Edwards, 
who  through  Duke  of  Doncaster,  a  son  of  Durham,  has  founded 
a  kennel  which  at  times  is  almost  invincible,  and  which  still 
o 


210        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

shelters  such  grand  terriers  as  Doncaster,  Dominie,  Dodger, 
Dauphine,  and  many  others  well  known  to  fame.  Mrs.  J.  H. 
Brown,  too,  as  the  owner  of  Captain  Double,  a  terrier  which 
has  won,  and  deservedly,  more  prizes  than  any  Fox-terrier 
now  or  in  the  past,  must  not  be  omitted. 

Whether  the  present  Fox-terrier  is  as  good,  both  on  the  score 
of  utility  and  appearance,  as  his  predecessors  is  a  question 
which  has  many  times  been  asked,  and  as  many  times  decided 
in  the  negative  as  well  as  in  the  affirmative.  It  would  be 
idle  to  pretend  that  a  great  many  of  the  dogs  now  seen  on  the 
show  bench  are  fitted  to  do  the  work  Nature  intended  them 
for,  as  irrespective  of  their  make  and  shape  they  are  so  over- 
sized as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  going  to  ground  in  any 
average  sized  earth. 

This  question  of  size  is  one  that  must  sooner  or  later  be 
tackled  in  some  practical  way  by  the  Fox-terrier  Club,  unless 
we  are  to  see  a  race  of  giants  in  the  next  few  generations. 
Their  own  standard  gives  20  Ib. — a  very  liberal  maximum  ; 
but  there  are  dogs  several  pounds  heavier  constantly  winning 
prizes  at  shows,  and  consequently  being  bred  from,  with  the 
result  which  we  see.  There  are  many  little  dogs,  and  good 
ones,  to  be  seen,  but  as  long  as  the  judges  favour  the  big  ones 
these  hold  no  chance,  and  as  it  is  far  easier  to  produce  a  good 
big  one  than  a  good  little  one,  breeders  are  encouraged  to  use 
sires  who  would  not  be  looked  at  if  a  hard-and-fast  line  were 
drawn  over  which  no  dogs  should  win  a  prize.  There  are 
hundreds  of  Fox-terriers  about  quite  as  capable  of  doing 
their  work  as  their  ancestors  ever  were,  and  there  is  hardly  a 
large  kennel  which  has  not  from  time  to  time  furnished  our 
leading  packs  with  one  or  more  dogs,  and  with  gratifying 
results.  It  is,  therefore,  a  great  pity  that  our  leading  ex- 
hibitors should  often  be  the  greatest  delinquents  in  showing 
dogs  which  they  know  in  their  hearts  should  be  kept  at  home 
or  drafted  altogether,  and  it  is  deplorable  that  some  of  our 
oldest  judges  should  by  their  awards  encourage  them. 

Before  concluding  this  chapter  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to 


THE  SMOOTH  FOX-TERRIER  211 

say  a  few  words  as  to  the  breeding  and  rearing  of  Fox 
terriers. 

In  the  first  place,  never  breed  from  an  animal  whose  pedigree 
is  not  authenticated  beyond  a  shadow  of  a  doubt ;  and  re- 
member that  while  like  may  beget  like,  the  inevitable  tendency 
is  to  throw  back  to  former  generations.  The  man  who  elects 
to  breed  Fox-terriers  must  have  the  bumps  of  patience  and 
hope  very  strongly  developed,  as  if  the  tyro  imagines  that  he 
has  only  to  mate  his  bitch  to  one  of  the  known  prize-winning 
dogs  of  the  day  in  order  to  produce  a  champion,  he  had  better 
try  some  other  breed.  Let  him  fix  in  his  mind  the  ideal  dog, 
and  set  to  work  by  patient  effort  and  in  the  face  of  many 
disappointments  to  produce  it.  It  is  not  sufficient  that, 
having  acquired  a  bitch  good  in  all  points  save  in  head,  that  he 
breeds  her  to  the  best-headed  dog  he  can  find.  He  must 
satisfy  himself  that  the  head  is  not  a  chance  one,  but  is  an 
inherited  one,  handed  down  from  many  generations,  good  in 
this  particular,  and  consequently  potent  to  reproduce  its 
like.  So  in  all  other  points  that  he  wishes  to  reproduce.  In 
the  writer's  experience,  little  bitches  with  quality  are  the 
most  successful.  Those  having  masculine  characteristics 
should  be  avoided,  and  the  best  results  will  be  obtained  from 
the  first  three  litters,  after  which  a  bitch  rarely  breeds  anything 
so  good.  See  that  your  bitch  is  free  from  worms  before  she 
goes  to  the  dog,  then  feed  her  well,  and  beyond  a  dose  of  castor 
oil  some  days  before  she  is  due  to  whelp,  let  Nature  take  its 
course.  Dose  your  puppies  well  for  worms  at  eight  weeks  old, 
give  them  practically  as  much  as  they  will  eat,  and  unlimited 
exercise.  Avoid  the  various  advertised  nostrums,  and  rely 
rather  on  the  friendly  advice  of  some  fancier  or  your  veterin- 
ary surgeon. 

Take  your  hobby  seriously,  and  you  will  be  amply  repaid, 
even  if  success  does  not  always  crown  your  efforts,  as  while 
the  breeding  of  most  animals  is  a  fascinating  pursuit,  that  of 
the  Fox-terrier  presents  many  varying  delights. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 
THE    WIRE-HAIR    FOX-TERRIER 

THE  wire-hair  Fox-terrier  is,  with  the  exception  of  its  coat, 
identical  with  the  smooth  Fox-terrier — full  brother  in  fact  to 
him.  The  two  varieties  are  much  interbred,  and  several 
litters  in  consequence  include  representatives  of  both ;  and 
not  only  this,  but  it  is  quite  a  frequent  occurrence  to  get  a 
smooth  puppy  from  wire-hair  parents,  although  for  some 
generations  neither  of  the  parents  may  have  had  any  smooth 
cross  in  their  pedigrees. 

The  North  of  England  and  South  Wales  (to  a  lesser  extent) 
have  ever  been  the  home  of  the  wire-hair,  and  nearly  all  the 
best  specimens  have  come  originally  from  one  or  the  other  of 
those  districts.  There  is  no  doubt  that  there  was  excellent 
stock  in  both  places,  and  there  is  also  no  doubt  that  though 
at  times  this  was  used  to  the  best  advantage,  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  carelessness  in  mating,  and  a  certain  amount  in  re- 
cording the  parentage  of  some  of  the  terriers.  With  regard 
to  this  latter  point  it  is  said  that  one  gentleman  who  had  quite 
a  large  kennel  and  several  stud  dogs,  but  who  kept  no  books, 
used  never  to  bother  about  remembering  which  particular 
dog  he  had  put  to  a  certain  bitch,  but  generally  satisfied  himself 
as  to  the  sire  of  a  puppy  when  it  came  in  from  "  walk  "  by 
just  examining  it  and  saying  "  Oh,  that  pup  must  be  by 
owd  Jock  or  Jim,"  as  the  case  might  be,  "  'cos  he's  so  loike 
'im,"  and  down  he  would  go  on  the  entry  form  accordingly. 
However  this  may  be,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  sire  would 
be  a  wire-hair  Fox-terrier,  and,  although  the  pedigree  there- 
fore may  not  have  been  quite  right,  the  terrier  was  invariably 
pure  bred. 

212 


THE  WIRE-HAIR  FOX-TERRIER         213 

In  the  early  days  the  smooth  was  not  crossed  with  the  wire 
to  anything  like  the  extent  that  it  was  later,  and  this  fact  is 
probably  the  cause  of  the  salvation  of  the  variety.  The  wire- 
hair  has  had  more  harm  done  to  him  by  his  being  injudiciously 
crossed  with  the  smooth  than  probably  by  anything  else. 

The  greatest  care  must  be  exercised  in  the  matter  of  coat 
before  any  such  cross  is  effected.  The  smooth  that  is  crossed 
with  the  wire  must  have  a  really  hard,  and  not  too  full  coat, 
and,  as  there  are  very,  very  few  smooths  now  being  shown  with 
anything  like  a  proper  coat  for  a  terrier  to  possess,  the  very 
greatest  caution  is  necessary.  Some  few  years  back,  almost 
incalculable  harm  was  done  to  the  variety  by  a  considerable 
amount  of  crossing  into  a  strain  of  smooths  with  terribly  soft 
flannelly  coats.  Good-looking  terriers  were  produced,  and 
therein  lay  the  danger,  but  their  coats  were  as  bad  as  bad  could 
be  ;  and,  though  people  were  at  first  too  prone  to  look  over 
this  very  serious  fault,  they  now  seem  to  have  recovered  their 
senses,  and  thus,  although  much  harm  was  done,  any  serious 
damage  has  been  averted.  If  a  person  has  a  full-coated  wire- 
hair  bitch  he  is  too  apt  to  put  her  to  a  smooth  simply  because 
it  is  a  smooth,  whom  he  thinks  will  neutralise  the  length  of  his 
bitch's  jacket,  but  this  is  absolute  heresy,  and  must  not  be 
done  unless  the  smooth  has  the  very  hardest  of  hair  on  him. 
If  it  is  done,  the  result  is  too  horrible  for  words  :  you  get  an 
elongated,  smooth,  full  coat  as  soft  as  cotton  wool,  and  some- 
times as  silkily  wavy  as  a  lady's  hair.  This  is  not  a  coat  for  any 
terrier  to  possess,  and  it  is  not  a  wire-hair  terrier's  coat,  which 
ought  to  be  a  hard,  crinkly,  peculiar-looking  broken  coat  on 
top,  with  a  dense  undercoat  underneath,  and  must  never  be 
mistakable  for  an  elongated  smooth  terrier's  coat,  which  can 
never  at  any  time  be  a  protection  from  wind,  water,  or  dirt, 
and  is,  in  reality,  the  reverse. 

The  wire-hair  has  had  a  great  advertisement,  for  better  or 
worse,  in  the  extraordinarily  prominent  way  he  has  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  "  faking "  and  trimming. 
Columns  have  been  written  on  this  subject,  speeches  of 


2i4        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

inordinate  length  have  been  delivered,  motions  and  resolutions 
have  been  carried,  rules  have  been  promulgated,  etc.,  etc., 
and  the  one  dog  mentioned  throughout  in  connection  with  all 
of  them  has  been  our  poor  old,  much  maligned  wire-hair.  He 
has  been  the  scapegoat,  the  subject  of  all  this  brilliancy  and 
eloquence,  and  were  he  capable  of  understanding  the  language 
of  the  human,  we  may  feel  sure  much  amusement  would  be  his. 

There  are  several  breeds  that  are  more  trimmed  than  the 
wire-hair,  and  that  might  well  be  quoted  before  him  in  this 
connection.  There  is  a  vast  difference  between  legitimate 
trimming,  and  what  is  called  "  faking."  All  dogs  with  long 
or  wire-hair  or  rough  coats  naturally  require  more  attention, 
and  more  grooming  than  those  with  short  smooth  coats.  For 
the  purposes  of  health  and  cleanliness  it  is  absolutely  necess- 
ary that  such  animals  should  be  frequently  well  groomed. 
There  is  no  necessity,  given  a  wire-hair  with  a  good  and  proper 
coat,  to  use  anything  but  an  ordinary  close-toothed  comb,  a 
good  hard  brush,  and  an  occasional  removal  of  long  old  hairs 
on  the  head,  ears,  neck,  legs,  and  belly,  with  the  finger  and 
thumb.  The  Kennel  Club  regulations  for  the  preparation  of 
dogs  for  exhibition  are  perfectly  clear  on  this  subject,  and  are 
worded  most  properly.  They  say  that  a  dog  "  shall  be  dis- 
qualified if  any  part  of  his  coat  or  hair  has  been  cut,  clipped, 
singed,  or  rasped  down  by  any  substance,  or  if  any  of  the  new 
or  fast  coat  has  been  removed  by  pulling  or  plucking  in  any 
manner,"  and  that  "  no  comb  shall  be  used  which  has  a  cutting 
or  rasping  edge."  There  is  no  law,  therefore,  against  the 
removal  of  old  coat  by  finger  and  thumb,  and  anyone  who 
keeps  long-haired  dogs  knows  that  it  is  essential  to  the  dog's 
health  that  there  should  be  none. 

It  is  in  fact  most  necessary  in  certain  cases,  at  certain  times, 
to  pull  old  coat  out  in  this  way.  Several  terriers  with  good 
coats  are  apt  to  grow  long  hair  very  thickly  round  the  neck 
and  ears,  and  unless  this  is  removed  when  it  gets  old,  the  neck 
and  ears  are  liable  to  become  infested  with  objectionable 
little  slate-coloured  nits,  which  will  never  be  found  as  long 


THE  WIRE-HAIR  FOX-TERRIER        215 

as  the  coat  is  kept  down  when  necessary.  Bitches  in  whelp 
and  after  whelping,  although  ordinarily  good-coated,  seem 
to  go  all  wrong  in  their  coats  unless  properly  attended  to  in  this 
way,  and  here  again,  if  you  wish  to  keep  your  bitch  free  from 
skin  trouble,  it  is  a  necessity,  in  those  cases  which  need  it,  to 
use  finger  and  thumb. 

If  the  old  hair  is  pulled  out  only  when  it  is  old,  there  is  no 
difficulty  about  it,  and  no  hurt  whatever  is  occasioned  to  the 
dog,  who  does  not  in  reality  object  at  all.  If,  however,  new 
or  fast  coat  is  pulled  out  it  not  only  hurts  the  dog  but  it  is 
also  a  very  foolish  thing  to  do,  and  the  person  guilty  of  such 
a  thing  fully  merits  disqualification. 

Most  of  the  nonsense  that  is  heard  about  trimming  emanates, 
of  course,  from  the  ignoramus  ;  the  knife,  he  says,  is  used  on 
them  all,  a  sharp  razor  is  run  over  their  coats,  they  are  singed, 
they  are  cut,  they  are  rasped  (the  latter  is  the  favourite  term). 
Anything  like  such  a  sweeping  condemnation  is  quite  in- 
accurate and  most  unfair.  It  is  impossible  to  cut  a  hair 
without  being  detected  by  a  good  judge,  and  very  few  people 
ever  do  any  such  thing,  at  any  rate  for  some  months  before 
the  terrier  is  exhibited,  for  if  they  do,  they  know  they  are 
bound  to  be  discovered,  and,  as  a  fact,  are. 

When  the  soft-coated  dogs  are  clipped  they  are  operated  on, 
say,  two  or  three  months  before  they  are  wanted,  and  the 
hair  gets  a  chance  to  grow,  but  even  then  it  is  easily  discernible, 
and  anyone  who,  like  the  writer,  has  any  experience  of  clipping 
dogs  in  order  to  cure  them  of  that  awful  disease,  follicular 
mange,  knows  what  a  sight  the  animal  is  when  he  grows  his 
coat,  and  how  terribly  unnatural  he  looks. 

The  wire-hair  has  never  been  in  better  state  than  he  is 
to-day ;  he  is,  generally  speaking,  far  ahead  of  his  prede- 
cessors of  twenty-five  years  ago,  not  only  from  a  show  point  of 
view,  but  also  in  working  qualities.  One  has  only  to  com- 
pare the  old  portraits  of  specimens  of  the  variety  with  dogs  of 
the  present  day  to  see  this.  A  good  many  individual  speci- 
mens of  excellent  merit,  it  is  true,  there  were,  but  they  do  not 


216        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

seem  to  have  been  immortalised  in  this  way.  The  portraits 
of  those  we  do  see  are  mostly  representations  of  awful-looking 
brutes,  as  bad  in  shoulders,  and  light  of  bone,  as  they  could  be  ; 
they  appear  also  to  have  had  very  soft  coats,  somewhat  akin 
to  that  we  see  on  a  Pomeranian  nowadays,  though  it  is  true 
this  latter  fault  may  have  been  that  of  the  artist,  or  probably 
amplified  by  him. 

Perhaps  the  strongest  kennel  of  wire-hairs  that  has  existed 
was  that  owned  a  good  many  years  ago  by  Messrs.  Maxwell 
and  Cassell.  Several  champions  were  in  the  kennel  at  the 
same  time,  and  they  were  a  sorty  lot  of  nice  size,  and  won 
prizes  all  over  the  country.  Jack  Frost,  Jacks  Again,  Liffey, 
Barton  Wonder,  Barton  Marvel,  and  several  other  good  ones, 
were  inmates  of  this  kennel,  the  two  latter  especially  being 
high-class  terriers,  which  at  one  time  were  owned  by  Sir  H. 
de  Trafford.  Barton  Marvel  was  a  very  beautiful  bitch, 
and  probably  the  best  of  those  named  above,  though  Barton 
Wonder  was  frequently  put  above  her.  Sir  H.  de  Trafford 
had  for  years  a  very  good  kennel  of  the  variety,  and  at  that 
time  was  probably  the  biggest  and  best  buyer. 

Mr.  Carrick,  of  Carlisle,  was  also  a  prominent  owner  years 
ago,  and  showed  some  excellent  terriers,  the  best  being  Carlisle 
Tack,  Trick,  and  Tyro.  The  latter  was  an  exceptionally 
good  dog. 

Mr.  Sam  Hill,  of  Sheffield,  had  also  a  strong  kennel,  always 
well  shown  by  George  Porter,  who  is  now,  and  has  been  for 
some  years,  in  America,  where  he  still  follows  his  old  love. 
Mr.  Hill's  name  will  ever  be  associated  with  that  of  his  great 
dog  Meersbrook  Bristles,  who  has  undoubtedly  done  the  breed 
a  great  amount  of  good.  Mr.  Mayhew  is  another  old  fancier, 
who  nearly  always  showed  a  good  one.  Mr.  Mayhew  has  been 
in  America  now  for  many  years.  One  dog  of  his,  who  it  is 
believed  became  a  champion,  viz.  Brittle,  did  at  one  time  a 
big  business  at  stud,  perhaps  not  to  the  advantage  of  the 
breed,  for  he  was  possessed  of  a  very  bad  fault,  in  that  he  had 
what  was  called  a  topknot  ring,  a  bunch  of  soft  silky  hairs 


THE  WIRE-HAIR  FOX-TERRIER        217 

on  his  forehead,  an  unfailing  sign  of  a  soft  coat  all  over,  and  a 
thing  which  breeders  should  studiously  avoid.  This  topknot 
was  at  one  time  more  prevalent  than  it  is  now.  Whether  it 
is  a  coincidence  or  not  one  cannot  say,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  in 
the  writer's  experience  several  terriers  possessed  of  this  fault 
have  also  blue  markings,  which  again  are  almost  invariably 
accompanied  by  a  soft  coat,  and  taking  these  two  peculiarities 
together  it  would  seem  that  at  some  time,  years  ago,  a  cross 
with  that  wonderfully  game  but  exceedingly  soft-coated 
terrier,  the  Bedlington,  may  have  been  resorted  to,  though  if 
so  it  would  appear  that  nowadays  any  effect  of  it  is  gradually 
dying  out. 

Mr.  George  Raper  is  one  of  the  old  fanciers  who  has  for 
many  years  owned  some  of  the  best  specimens  of  the  variety, 
Ch.  Go  Bang  perhaps  being  the  most  notable.  Go  Bang  was 
a  beautiful  terrier  ;  there  was  no  denying  his  quality.  Mr. 
Raper  sold  him  to  Mr.  G.  M.  Carnochan,  of  New  York,  for 
something  like  £500,  probably  the  biggest  price  that  has  ever 
been  pajd  for  any  Fox-terrier.  Mr.  Hayward  Field  is  another 
gentleman  who  has  been  exhibiting  the  breed  for  very  many 
years,  and  has  owned  several  good  terriers.  The  late  Mr. 
Clear  had  also  at  one  time  a  strong  kennel,  the  best  of  which  by 
a  long  way  was  Ch.  Jack  St.  Leger. 

Mr.  Wharton  was  a  well-known  exhibitor  and  judge  some 
time  back.  It  was  he  who  owned  that  excellent  little  terrier 
Ch.  Bushey  Broom,  who  created  quite  a  furore  when  first 
exhibited  at  the  Westminster  Aquarium. 

Mr.  Harding  Cox  was  years  ago  a  great  supporter  of  the 
variety.  He  exhibited  with  varying  success,  and  was  always 
much  in  request  as  a  judge  ;  one  knew  in  entering  under  him 
that  he  wanted  firstly  a  terrier,  and  further  that  the  terrier 
had  to  be  sound.  Mr.  Cox  has  of  course  played  a  big  part  in 
the  popularisation  of  the  Fox-terrier,  for,  as  all  the  world 
knows,  he  was  the  instigator  of  the  Fox-terrier  Club,  it  being 
founded  at  a  meeting  held  at  his  house.  His  love  has  ever 
been  for  the  small  terrier,  and  certainly  the  specimens  shown 


218        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

by  him,  whatever  their  individual  faults,  were  invariably 
a  sporting,  game-looking  lot.  Mr.  Sidney  Castle  has  for  many 
years  shown  wire-hair  Fox-terriers  of  more  than  average  merit  ; 
and  thoroughly  understands  the  variety,  indeed,  perhaps  as 
well  as  anybody.  Messrs.  Bartle,  Brumby  Mutter,  G.  Welch, 
and  S.  Wilson,  are  all  old  fanciers  who  have  great  experience, 
have  bred  and  shown  excellent  specimens. 

In  mentioning  the  names  of  celebrated  men  and  terriers 
of  years  gone  by,  reference  must  be  made  to  a  terrier  shown 
some  time  ago,  which  was  as  good,  taken  all  round,  as  any 
that  have  so  far  appeared.  This  was  Ch.  Quantock  Nettle, 
afterwards  purchased  by  a  gentleman  in  Wales  and  renamed 
Lexden  Nettle.  Of  correct  size,  with  marvellous  character, 
an  excellent  jacket  and  very  takingly  marked  with  badger 
tan  and  black  on  a  wonderful  head  and  ears,  this  bitch  swept 
the  board,  as  they  say,  and  unquestionably  rightly  so. 

No  article  on  the  wire-hair  Fox-terrier  would  be  complete 
without  mentioning  the  name  of  the  late  Mr.  S.  E.  Shirley, 
President  of  the  Kennel  Club.  Mr.  Shirley  was  a  successful 
exhibitor  in  the  early  days  of  the  variety,  and  while  his 
terriers  were  a  good-looking  lot,  though  not  up  to  the  show 
form  of  to-day,  they  were  invariably  hard-bitten,  game  dogs, 
kept  chiefly  for  work. 

On  the  question  of  size  nearly  all  the  principal  judges  of 
the  Fox-terrier  are  agreed.  Their  maxim  is  "  a  good  little 
one  can  always  beat  a  good  big  one."  The  difficulty  arises 
when  the  little  ones  are  no  good,  and  the  big  ones  are  excel- 
lent ;  it  is  a  somewhat  common  occurrence,  and  to  anyone 
who  loves  a  truly  formed  dog,  and  who  knows  what  a  truly 
formed  dog  can  do,  it  is  an  extremely  difficult  thing  to  put 
the  little  above  the  larger.  All  big  dogs  with  properly  placed 
shoulders  and  sound  formation  are  better  terriers  for  work  of 
any  sort  than  dogs  half  their  size,  short  on  the  leg,  but  bad 
in  these  points.  It  is  in  reality  impossible  to  make  an  inexor- 
able rule  about  this  question  of  size  ;  each  class  must  be 
judged  on  its  own  merits. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 
THE    AIREDALE    TERRIER 

THERE  is  perhaps  no  breed  of  dog  that  in  so  short  a  time  has 
been  improved  so  much  as  the  Airedale.  He  is  now  a  very 
beautiful  animal,  whereas  but  a  few  years  back,  although 
maybe  there  were  a  few  fairly  nice  specimens,  by  far  the  greater 
number  were  certainly  the  reverse  of  this. 

In  place  of  the  shaggy,  soft-coated,  ugly-coloured  brute 
with  large  hound  ears  and  big  full  eyes,  we  have  now  a  very 
handsome  creature,  possessing  all  the  points  that  go  to  make 
a  really  first-class  terrier  of  taking  colour,  symmetrical  build, 
full  of  character  and  "  go,"  amply  justifying — in  looks,  at 
any  rate — its  existence  as  a  terrier. 

Whether  it  is  common  sense  to  call  a  dog  weighing  40  Ib. 
to  50  Ib.  a  terrier  is  a  question  that  one  often  hears  discussed. 
The  fact  remains  the  dog  is  a  terrier — a  sort  of  glorified  edition 
of  what  we  understand  by  the  word,  it  is  true,  but  in  points, 
looks,  and  character,  a  terrier  nevertheless,  and  it  is  impossible 
otherwise  to  classify  him. 

People  will  ask  :  "  How  can  he  be  a  terrier  ?  Why  he  is 
an  outrage  on  the  very  word,  which  can  only  mean  a  dog  to 
go  to  ground  ;  and  to  what  animal  in  the  country  of  his  birth 
can  an  Airedale  go  to  ground  ?  "  Above  ground  and  in  water, 
however,  an  Airedale  can,  and  does,  perform  in  a  very  excellent 
manner  everything  that  any  other  terrier  can  do.  As  a  water 
dog  he  is,  of  course,  in  his  element ;  for  work  on  land  requiring 
a  hard,  strong,  fast  and  resolute  terrier  he  is,  needless  to  say, 
of  great  value  ;  and  he  is  said  to  be  also,  when  trained — as  can 
easily  be  imagined  when  one  considers  his  power  of  scent,  his 

219 


220        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

strength,  sagacity,  and  speed — a  most  excellent  gun-dog.  He 
is,  in  fact,  a  general  utility  dog,  for  add  to  the  above-mentioned 
qualities  those  of  probably  an  incomparable  guard  and  a 
most  excellent  companion,  faithful  and  true,  and  ask  yourself 
what  do  you  want  more,  and  what  breed  of  dog,  taken  all 
round,  can  beat  him  ? 

The  Airedale  is  not  of  ancient  origin.  He  was  probably  first 
heard  of  about  the  year  1850.  He  is  undoubtedly  the  product 
of  the  Otterhound  and  the  old  Black  and  Tan  wire-haired 
terrier  referred  to  in  the  chapters  on  the  wire-hair  Fox  and  the 
Welsh  Terriers.  When  one  considers  the  magnificent  noble- 
ness, the  great  sagacity,  courage,  and  stateliness  of  the  Otter- 
hound, the  great  gameness,  cheek,  and  pertinacity  of  the  old 
Black  and  Tan  wire-hair,  such  a  cross  must  surely  produce  an 
animal  of  excellent  type  and  character. 

Yorkshire,  more  especially  that  part  of  it  round  and  about 
the  town  of  Otley,  is  responsible  for  the  birth  of  the  Airedale. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  country  of  broad  acres  are,  and  always 
have  been,  exceedingly  fond  of  any  kind  of  sport — as, 
indeed,  may  also  be  said  of  their  brothers  of  the  Red  Rose — 
but  if  in  connection  with  that  sport  a  dog  has  to  be  introduced, 
then  indeed  are  they  doubly  blessed,  for  they  have  no  compeers 
at  the  game. 

Otter-hunting  was  formerly  much  indulged  in  by  the  people 
living  in  the  dales  of  the  Aire  and  the  Wharfe,  and  not  only  were 
packs  of  Otterhounds  kept,  but  many  sportsmen  maintained 
on  their  own  account  a  few  hounds  for  their  personal  delecta- 
tion. These  hounds  were  no  doubt  in  some  instances  a  non- 
descript lot,  as,  indeed,  are  several  of  the  packs  hunting  the 
otter  to-day,  but  there  was  unquestionably  a  good  deal  of 
Otterhound  blood  in  them,  and  some  pure  bred  hounds  were 
also  to  be  found.  Yorkshire  also  has  always  been  the  great 
home  of  the  terrier.  Fox-terriers,  as  we  now  know  them,  had 
at  this  time  hardly  been  seen.  The  terrier  in  existence  then 
was  the  Black  and  Tan  wire-hair,  a  hardy  game  terrier,  a  great 
workman  on  land  or  in  water. 


THE  AIREDALE  TERRIER  221 

Whether  by  design  or  accident  is  not  known,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  in  or  about  the  year  mentioned  a  cross  took  place 
between  these  same  hounds  and  terriers.  It  was  found  that 
a  handier  dog  was  produced  for  the  business  for  which  he  was 
required,  and  it  did  not  take  many  years  to  populate  the  district 
with  these  terrier-hounds,  which  soon  came  to  be  recognised 
as  a  distinct  breed.  The  Waterside  Terrier  was  the  name  first 
vouchsafed  to  the  new  variety.  After  this  they  went  by  the 
name  of  Bingley  Terriers,  and  eventually  they  came  to  be 
known  under  their  present  appellation. 

The  specimens  of  the  Airedale  which  were  first  produced 
were  not  of  very  handsome  appearance,  being  what  would  now 
be  called  bad  in  colour,  very  shaggy  coated,  and  naturally 
big  and  ugly  in  ear.  It,  of  course,  took  some  time  to  breed 
the  hound  out  at  all  satisfactorily ;  some  authorities  tell  us 
that  for  this  purpose  the  common  fighting  pit  Bull-terrier 
and  also  the  Irish  Terrier  were  used,  the  latter  to  a  considerable 
extent ;  and  whether  this  is  correct  or  not  there  is  no  doubt 
that  there  would  also  be  many  crosses  back  again  into  the 
small  Black  and  Tan  Terrier,  primarily  responsible  for  his 
existence. 

In  about  twenty  years'  time,  the  breed  seems  to  have 
settled  down  and  become  thoroughly  recognised  as  a  variety 
of  the  terrier.  It  was  not,  however,  for  some  ten  years  after 
this  that  classes  were  given  for  the  breed  at  any  representative 
show.  In  1883  the  committee  of  the  National  Show  at  Birm- 
ingham included  three  classes  for  Airedales  in  their  schedule, 
which  were  fairly  well  supported  ;  and  three  years  after  this 
recognition  was  given  to  the  breed  in  the  stud-book  of  the  ruling 
authority. 

From  this  time  on  the  breed  prospered  pretty  well ;  several 
very  good  terriers  were  bred,  the  hound  gradually  almost 
disappeared,  as  also  did  to  a  great  extent  the  bad-coloured 
ones.  The  best  example  amongst  the  early  shown  dogs  was 
undoubtedly  Newbold  Test,  who  had  a  long  and  very  success- 
ful career.  This  dog  excelled  in  terrier  character,  and  he  was 


222        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

sound  all  over ;  his  advent  was  opportune — he  was  just  the 
dog  that  was  wanted,  and  there  is  no  doubt  he  did  the  breed 
a  great  amount  of  good. 

A  dog  called  Colne  Crack,  who  was  a  beautiful  little  terriers 
was  another  of  the  early  shown  ones  by  whom  the  breed  has 
lostjiothing,  and  two  other  terriers  whose  names  are  much 
revered  by  lovers  of  the  breed  are  Cholmondeley  Briar  and 
Briar  Test. 

Some  years  ago,  when  the  breed  was  in  the  stage  referred  to 
above,  a  club  was  formed  to  look  after  its  interests,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  though  perhaps  phenomenal  success  did  not 
attend  its  efforts,  it  did  its  best,  and  forms  a  valuable  link  in  the 
chain  of  popularity  of  the  Airedale.  It  was  at  best  apparently 
a  sleepy  sort  of  concern,  and  never  seems  to  have  attracted 
new  fanciers.  Some  dozen  or  so  years  ago,  however,  a  club,  des- 
tined not  only  to  make  a  great  name  for  itself,  but  also  to  do 
a  thousandfold  more  good  to  the  breed  it  espouses  than  ever 
the  old  club  did,  was  formed  under  the  name  of  the  South  of 
England  Airedale  Terrier  Club,  and  a  marvellously  successful 
and  popular  life  it  has  so  far  lived.  The  younger  club  was  in 
no  way  an  antagonist  of  the  older  one,  and  it  has  ever  been 
careful  that  it  should  not  be  looked  upon  in  any  way  as  such. 
The  old  club  has,  however,  been  quite  overshadowed  by  the 
younger,  which,  whether  it  wishes  it  or  not,  is  now  looked  upon 
as  the  leading  society  in  connection  with  the  breed. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  first  club — which  went  by  the  name  of 
the  Airedale  Terrier  Club — held  in  Manchester  some  eighteen 
or  twenty  years  ago,  the  following  standard  of  perfection 
and  scale  of  points  was  drawn  up  and  adopted  : — 

Head — Long,  with  flat  skull,  but  not  too  broad  between  the  ears, 
narrowing  slightly  to  the  eyes,  free  from  wrinkle  ;  stop  hardly  visible, 
and  cheeks  free  from  fullness  ;  jaw  deep  and  powerful,  well  filled  up 
before  the  eyes  ;  lips  light ;  ears  V-shaped  with  a  side  carriage,  small 
but  not  out  of  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  dog ;  the  nose  black  ;  the 
eyes  small  and  dark  in  colour,  not  prominent,  and  full  of  terrier  ex- 
pression ;  the  teeth  strong  and  level.  The  neck  should  be  of  moderate 
length  and  thickness,  gradually  widening  towards  the  shoulders  and 
free  from  throatiness.  Shoulders  and  Chest — Shoulders  long  and  sloping 


THE  AIREDALE  TERRIER  223 

well  into  the  back,  shoulder-blades  flat,  chest  deep,  but  not  broad. 
Body — Back  short,  strong  and  straight ;  ribs  well  sprung.  Hind- 
quarters— Strong  and  muscular,  with  no  drop  ;  hocks  well  let  down  ; 
the  tail  set  on  high  and  carried  gaily,  but  not  curled  over  the  back. 
Legs  and  Feet — Legs  perfectly  straight,  with  plenty  of  bone  ;  feet 
small  and  round  with  good  depth  of  pad.  Coat — Hard  and  wiry,  and 
not  so  long  as  to  appear  ragged  ;  it  should  also  be  straight  and  close, 
covering  the  dog  well  over  the  body  and  legs.  Colour — The  head  and 
ears,  with  the  exception  of  dark  markings  on  each  side  of  the  skull, 
should  be  tan,  the  ears  being  a  darker  shade  than  the  rest,  the  legs  up 
to  the  thigh  and  elbows  being  also  tan,  the  body  black  or  dark  grizzle. 
Weight— Dogs  40  Ib.  to  45  lb.,  bitches  slightly  less. 

At  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  Southern  club  the 
state  of  the  Airedale  was  critical ;  possessed  of  perhaps 
unequalled  natural  advantages,  lovely  dog  as  he  is,  he  had  not 
made  that  progress  that  he  should  have  done.  He  had  not 
been  boomed  in  any  way,  and  had  been  crawling  when  he 
should  have  galloped.  From  the  moment  the  new  club  was 
formed,  however,  the  Airedale  had  a  new  lease  of  life.  Mr. 
Holland  Buckley  and  other  keen  enthusiasts  seem  to  have 
recognised  to  a  nicety  exactly  what  was  required  to  give 
a  necessary  fillip  to  the  breed ;  they  appear  also  to  have 
founded  their  club  at  the  right  moment,  and  to  have  offered 
such  an  attractive  bill  of  fare,  that  not  only  did  everyone  in 
the  south  who  had  anything  to  do  with  Airedales  join  at  once, 
but  very  shortly  a  host  of  new  fanciers  was  enrolled,  and 
crowds  of  people  began  to  take  the  breed  up  who  had  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it,  or,  indeed,  any  other  sort  of  dog 
previously. 

Some  few  years  after  the  foundation  of  this  club,  a  junior 
branch  of  it  was  started,  and  this,  ably  looked  after  by  Mr.  R. 
Lauder  McLaren,  is  almost  as  big  a  success  in  its  way  as  is 
the  parent  institution.  Other  clubs  have  been  started  in  the 
north  and  elsewhere,  and  altogether  the  Airedale  is  very 
well  catered  for  in  this  respect,  and,  if  things  go  on  as  they  are 
now  going,  is  bound  to  prosper  and  become  even  more  exten- 
sively owned  than  he  is  at  present.  To  Mr.  Holland  Buckley, 
Mr.  G.  H.  Elder,  Mr.  Royston  Mills,  and  Mr.  Marshall  Lee, 
the  Airedale  of  the  present  day  owes  much. 


224        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  Airedales  that  have  struck  the  writer  as  the  best  he 
has  come  across  are  Master  Briar,  Clonmel  Monarch,  Clonmel 
Marvel,  Dumbarton  Lass,  Tone  Masterpiece,  Mistress  Royal, 
Master  Royal,  Tone  Chief,  Huckleberry  Lass,  Fielden  Fashion, 
York  Sceptre  and  Clonmel  Floriform.  Nearly  every  one  of 
these  is  now,  either  in  the  flesh  or  spirit,  in  the  United  States 
or  Canada. 

In  all  probability,  the  person  who  knows  more  about  this 
terrier  than  anyone  living  is  Mr.  Holland  Buckley.  He  has 
written  a  most  entertaining  book  on  the  Airedale ;  he  has 
founded  the  principal  club  in  connection  with  the  breed  ;  he 
has  produced  several  very  excellent  specimens,  and  it  goes 
without  saying  that  he  is — when  he  can  be  induced  to  "  take 
the  ring  " — a  first-rate  judge.  Mr.  Buckley  has  frequently 
told  the  writer  that  in  his  opinion  one  of  the  best  terriers  he 
has  seen  was  the  aforesaid  Clonmel  Floriform,  but,  as  this 
dog  was  sold  for  a  big  price  very  early  in  his  career,  the  writer 
never  saw  him. 

Most  of  the  articles  that  have  been  written  on  the  Airedale 
have  come  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Buckley,  and  therefore  but 
modest  reference  is  made  to  the  man  who  has  worked  so 
whole-heartedly,  so  well,  and  so  successfully  in  the  interests 
of  the  breed  he  loves.  It  would  be  ungenerous  and  unfair 
in  any  article  on  the  Airedale,  written  by  anyone  but  Mr. 
Buckley,  if  conspicuous  reference  were  not  made  to  the  great 
power  this  gentleman  has  been,  and  to  the  great  good  that  he 
has  done. 

The  Airedale  is  such  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  canine 
race,  and  is,  in  reality,  in  such  healthy  state,  that  every  one  of 
his  admirers — and  they  are  legion — is  naturally  jealous  for 
his  welfare,  and  is  wishful  that  all  shall  go  well  with  him. 
It  is  gratifying  to  state  that  he  has  never  been  the  tool  of 
faction,  though  at  one  time  he  was  doubtless  near  the  brink  ; 
but  this  was  some  time  ago,  and  it  would  be  a  grievous  pity 
if  he  ever  again  became  in  jeopardy  of  feeling  the  baneful 
influence  of  any  such  curse. 


THE  AIREDALE  TERRIER  225 

There  is  one  serious  matter  in  connection  with  him,  however, 
and  that  is  the  laxity  displayed  by  some  judges  of  the  breed 
in  giving  prizes  to  dogs  shown  in  a  condition,  with  regard  to 
their  coats,  which  ought  to  disentitle  them  to  take  a  prize 
in  any  company.  Shockingly  badly-trimmed  shoulders  are 
becoming  quite  a  common  thing  to  see  in  Airedales.  There 
is  no  necessity  for  this  sort  of  thing ;  it  is  very  foolish,  and  it 
is  impossible  to  imagine  anything  more  likely  to  do  harm  to  a 
breed  than  that  the  idea  should  get  abroad  that  this  is  the 
general  practice  in  connection  with  it. 


CHAPTER   XXXV 
THE  BEDLINGTON  TERRIER 

THIS  games!  of  all  the  terriers  has  been  known  as  a  distinct 
and  thoroughly  British  breed  for  over  a  century,  which  is, 
I  think,  a  fairly  ancient  lineage.  There  are  various  theories 
as  to  its  original  parentage,  but  the  one  which  holds  that  he 
was  the  result  of  a  cross  between  the  Otterhound  and  the 
Dandie  Dinmont  suggests  itself  to  me  as  the  most  probable 
one.  His  characteristics  strongly  resemble  in  many  points 
both  these  breeds,  and  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  of  his 
near  relationship  at  some  time  or  other  to  the  Dandie. 

The  earliest  authentic  record  we  have  of  the  Bedlington 
was  a  dog  named  Old  Flint,  who  belonged  to  Squire  Trevelyan, 
and  was  whelped  in  1782.  The  pedigree  of  Mr.  William 
Clark's  Scamp,  a  dog  well  known  about  1792,  is  traced  back 
to  Old  Flint,  and  the  descendants  of  Scamp  were  traced  in 
direct  line  from  1792  to  1873. 

A  mason  named  Joseph  Aynsley  has  the  credit  for  giving 
the  name  of  "  Bedlington  "  to  this  terrier  in  1825.  It  was 
previously  known  as  the  Rothbury  Terrier,  or  the  Northern 
Counties  Fox-terrier.  Mr.  Thomas  J.  Pickett,  of  Newcastle- 
on-Tyne,  was  perhaps  the  earliest  supporter  of  the  breed  on  a 
large  scale,  and  his  Tynedale  and  Tyneside  in  especial  have 
left  their  names  in  the  history  of  the  Bedlington. 

The  present  day  Bedlington,  like  a  good  many  other 
terriers,  has  become  taller  and  heavier  than  the  old  day 
specimens.  This  no  doubt  is  due  to  breeding  for  show  points. 
He  is  a  lathy  dog,  but  not  shelly,  inclined  to  be  flatsided, 
somewhat  light  in  bone  for  his  size,  very  lively  in  character, 

226 


THE  BEDLINGTON  TERRIER  227 

and  has  plenty  of  courage.     If  anything,  indeed,  his  pluck  is 
too  insistent. 

The  standard  of  points  as  adopted  by  the  National  Bedling- 
ton  Terrier  and  The  Yorkshire  Bedlington  Terrier  Clubs  is  as 
follows  : — 

Skull — Narrow,  but  deep  and  rounded  ;  high  at  the  occiput,  and 
covered  with  a  nice  silky  tuft  or  topknot.  Muzzle — Long,  tapering, 
sharp  and  muscular,  as  little  stop  as  possible  between  the  eyes,  so  as 
to  form  nearly  a  line  from  the  nose-end  along  the  joint  of  skull  to  the 
occiput.  The  lips  close  fitting  and  without  flew.  Eyes — Should  be 
small  and  well  sunk  in  the  head.  The  blues  should  have  a  dark  eye, 
the  blues  and  tans  ditto,  with  amber  shades  ;  livers  and  sandies,  a 
light  brown  eye.  Nose — Large,  well  angled  ;  blues  and  blues  and  tans 
should  have  black  noses,  livers  and  sandies  flesh-coloured.  Teeth — 
Level  or  pincher-jawed.  Ears — Moderately  large,  well  formed,  flat 
to  the  cheek,  thinly  covered  and  tipped  with  fine  silky  hair.  They 
should  be  filbert  shaped.  Legs — Of  moderate  length,  not  wide  apart, 
straight  and  square  set,  and  with  good-sized  feet,  which  are  rather  long. 
Tail — Thick  at  the  root,  tapering  to  a  point,  slightly  feathered  on 
lower  side,  9  inches  to  11  inches  long  and  scimitar  shaped.  Neck  and 
Shoulders — Neck  long,  deep  at  base,  rising  well  from  the  shoulders, 
which  should  be  flat.  Body — Long  and  well-proportioned,  flat  ribbed, 
and  deep,  not  wide  in  chest,  slightly  arched  back,  well  ribbed  up,  with 
light  quarters.  Coat — Hard,  with  close  bottom,  and  not  lying  flat  to 
sides.  Colour — Dark  blue,  blue  and  tan,  liver,  liver  and  tan,  sandy, 
or  sandy  and  tan.  Height — About  15  inches  to  16  inches.  Weight — 
Dogs  about  24  pounds  ;  bitches  about  22  pounds.  General  Appearance 
— He  is  a  light-made,  lathy  dog,  but  not  shelly. 

There  is  a  tendency  nowadays  towards  excess  of  size  in 
the  Bedlington.  It  is  inclined  to  be  too  long  in  the  body  and 
too  leggy,  which,  if  not  checked,  will  spoil  the  type  of  the 
breed.  It  is,  therefore,  very  important  that  size  should  be 
more  studied  by  judges  than  is  at  present  the  case.  The  faults 
referred  to  are  doubtless  the  result  of  breeding  for  exception- 
ally long  heads,  which  seem  to  be  the  craze  just  now,  and,  of 
course,  one  cannot  get  extra  long  heads  without  proportion- 
ately long  bodies  and  large  size.  If  it  were  possible  to  do  so, 
then  the  dog  would  become  a  mere  caricature. 

As  a  sporting  terrier  the  Bedlington  holds  a  position  in  the 
first  rank.  He  is  very  fast  and  enduring,  and  exceedingly 
pertinacious,  and  is  equally  at  home  on  land  and  in  water. 
He  will  work  an  otter,  draw  a  badger,  or  bolt  a  fox,  and  he  has 


228        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

no  superior  at  killing  rats  and  all  kinds  of  vermin.  He  has 
an  exceptionally  fine  nose,  and  makes  a  very  useful  dog  for 
rough  shooting,  being  easily  taught  to  retrieve.  If  he  has 
any  fault  at  all,  it  is  that  he  is  of  too  jealous  a  disposition, 
which  renders  it  almost  impossible  to  work  him  with  other 
dogs,  as  he  wants  all  the  fun  to  himself,  and  if  he  cannot  get  it 
he  will  fight  for  it.  But  by  himself  he  is  perfect.  As  a  com- 
panion he  is  peculiarly  affectionate  and  faithful,  and  remark- 
ably intelligent ;  he  makes  a  capital  house-dog,  is  a  good  guard 
and  is  very  safe  with  children. 

Bedlingtons  are  not  dainty  feeders,  as  most  writers  have 
asserted,  nor  are  they  tender  dogs.  If  they  are  kept  in  good 
condition  and  get  plenty  of  exercise  they  feed  as  well  as  any 
others,  and  are  as  hard  as  nails  if  not  pampered.  They  are 
easy  to  breed  and  rear,  and  the  bitches  make  excellent  mothers. 
If  trained  when  young  they  are  very  obedient,  and  their 
tendency  to  fight  can  in  a  great  measure  be  cured  when  they 
are  puppies  ;  but,  if  not  checked  then,  it  cannot  be  done 
afterwards.  Once  they  take  to  fighting  nothing  will  keep  them 
from  it,  and  instead  of  being  pleasurable  companions  they 
become  positive  nuisances.  On  the  other  hand,  if  properly 
broken  they  give  very  little  trouble,  and  will  not  quarrel 
unless  set  upon. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 
THE  IRISH  TERRIER 

THE  dare-devil  Irish  Terrier  has  most  certainly  made  his 
home  in  our  bosom.  There  is  no  breed  of  dog  more  genuinely 
loved  by  those  who  have  sufficient  experience  and  knowledge 
to  make  the  comparison.  Other  dogs  have  a  larger  share 
of  innate  wisdom,  others  are  most  aesthetically  beautiful, 
others  more  peaceable  ;  but  our  rufous  friend  has  a  way  of 
winning  into  his  owner's  heart  and  making  there  an  abiding 
place  which  is  all  the  more  secure  because  it  is  gained  by 
sincere  and  undemonstrative  devotion.  Perhaps  one  likes 
him  equally  for  his  faults  as  for  his  merits.  His  very  failings 
are  due  to  his  soldierly  faithfulness  and  loyalty,  to  his  too 
ardent  vigilance  in  guarding  the  threshold,  to  his  officious 
belligerence  towards  other  canines  who  offend  his  sense  of 
proprietorship  in  his  master.  ^  His  particular  stature  may  have 
some  influence  in  his  success  as  a  chum.  He  is  just|tall 
enough  to  rest  his  chin  upon  one's  knee  and  look  up  with  all 
his  soul  into  one's  eyes.  Whatever  be  the  secret  of  his 
attraction  'tis  certain  that  he  has  the  Hibernian  art  of  com- 
pelling affection  and  forgiveness,  and  that  he  makes  one 
value  him,  not  for  the  beauty  of  his  ruddy  raiment,  the 
straightness  of  his  fore-legs,  the  set  of  his  eye  and  ear,  the 
levelness  of  his  back,  or  his  ability  to  win  prizes,  but  rather 
for  his  true  and  trusty  heart,  that  exacts  no  return  and 
seeks  no  recompense.  He  may  be  but  an  indifferent  specimen 
of  his  kind,  taken  in  as  a  stranger  at  the  gates  ;  but  when 
at  length  the  inevitable  time  arrives,  as  it  does  all  too  soon  in 
canine  nature,  one  then  discovers  how  surely  one  has  been 
harbouring  an  angel  unawares. 

229 


23o        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Statistics  would  probably  show  that  in  numbers  the  Fox- 
terrier  justifies  the  reputation  of  being  a  more  popular  breed, 
and  the  Scottish  Terrier  is  no  doubt  a  formidable  competitor 
for  public  esteem.  It  is  safe,  however,  to  say  that  the  Irish 
Terrier  shares  with  these  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the 
three  most  popular  terriers  in  the  British  Isles. 

This  fact  taken  into  consideration,  it  is  interesting  to  reflect 
that  thirty  years  ago  the  "  Dare-Devil  "  was  virtually  unknown 
in  England.  Idstone,  in  his  book  on  dogs,  published  in  1872 
did  not  give  a  word  of  mention  to  the  breed,  and  dog  shows 
had  been  instituted  sixteen  years  before  a  class  was  opened  for 
the  Irish  Terrier.  The  dog  existed,  of  course,  in  its  native 
land.  It  may  indeed  be  almost  truthfully  said  to  have  existed 
"  as  long  as  that  country  has  been  an  island." 

About  the  year  1875,  experts  were  in  dispute  over  the  Irish 
Terrier,  and  many  averred  that  his  rough  coat  and  length  of 
hair  on  forehead  and  muzzle  were  indubitable  proof  of  Scotch 
blood.  His  very  expression,  they  said,  was  Scotch.  But 
the  argument  was  quelled  by  more  knowing  disputants  on  the 
other  side,  who  claimed  that  Ireland  had  never  been  without 
her  terrier,  and  that  she  owed  no  manner  of  indebtedness  to 
Scotland  for  a  dog  whose  every  hair  was  essentially  Irish. 

In  the  same  year  at  a  show  held  in  Belfast  a  goodly  number 
of  the  breed  were  brought  together,  notable  among  them 
being  Mr.  D.  O'Connell's  Slasher,  a  very  good-looking  wire- 
coated  working  terrier,  who  is  said  to  have  excelled  as  a  field 
and  water  dog.  Slasher  was  lint  white  in  colour,  and  reputed 
to  be  descended  from  a  pure  white  strain.  Two  other  terriers 
of  the  time  were  Mr.  Morton's  Fly  (the  first  Irish  Terrier  to 
gain  a  championship)  and  Mr.  George  Jamison's  Sport. 

The  prominent  Irish  Terriers  of  the  'seventies  varied  con- 
siderably in  type.  Stinger,  who  won  the  first  prize  at  Lisburn 
in  1875,  was  long-backed  and  short-legged,  with  a  "  dark 
blue  grizzle  coloured  back,  tan  legs,  and  white  turned-out 
feet."  The  dam  of  Mr.  Burke's  Killeney  Boy  was  a  rough 
black  and  tan,  a  combination  of  colours  which  was  believed  to 


THE  IRISH  TERRIER  231 

accompany  the  best  class  of  coats.  Brindles  were  not  un- 
common. Some  were  tall  on  the  leg,  some  short ;  some  were 
lanky  and  others  cobby;  many  were  very  small.  There 
were  classes  given  at  a  Dublin  show  in  1874  for  Irish  Terriers 
under  9  Ib.  weight. 

Jamison's  Sport  is  an  important  dog  historically,  for  various 
reasons.  He  was  undoubtedly  more  akin  to  our  present  type 
than  any  other  Irish  Terrier  of  his  time  of  which  there  is 
record.  His  dark  ears  were  uncropped  at  a  period  when  cropp- 
ing was  general ;  his  weight  approximated  to  our  modern 
average.  He  was  an  all  coloured  red,  and  his  legs  were  of  a 
length  that  would  not  now  be  seriously  objected  to.  But  in 
his  day  he  was  not  accepted  as  typical,  and  he  was  not 
particularly  successful  in  the  show  ring.  The  distinguished 
terrier  of  his  era  was  Burke 's  Killeney  Boy,  to  whom, 
and  to  Mr.  W.  Graham's  bitch  Erin,  with  whom  he  was 
mated,  nearly  all  the  pedigrees  of  the  best  Irish  Terriers 
of  to-day  date  back.  Erin  was  said  to  be  superior  in  all 
respects  to  any  of  her  breed  previous  to  1880.  In  her  first 
litter  by  Killeney  Boy  were  Play  Boy,  Pretty  Lass,  Poppy, 
Gerald,  Pagan  II.,  and  Peggy,  every  one  of  whom  became 
famous.  More  than  one  of  these  showed  the  black  markings  of 
their  granddam,  and  their  progeny  for  several  generations 
were  apt  to  throw  back  to  the  black-and-tan,  grey,  or  brindle 
colouring.  Play  Boy  and  Poppy  were  the  best  of  Erin's  first 
litter.  The  dog's  beautiful  ears,  which  were  left  as  Nature 
made  them,  were  transmitted  to  his  son  Bogie  Rattler,  who 
was  sire  of  Bachelor  and  Benedict,  the  latter  the  most  successful 
stud  dog  of  his  time.  Poppy  had  a  rich  red  coat,  and  this 
colour  recurred  with  fair  regularity  in  her  descendants.  Red, 
which  had  not  at  first  been  greatly  appreciated,  came  gradu- 
ally to  be  the  accepted  colour  of  an  Irish  Terrier's  jacket. 
Occasionally  it  tended  towards  flaxen ;  occasionally  to  a  deep 
rich  auburn  ;  but  the  black  and  brindle  were  so  rigidly  bred 
out  that  by  the  year  1890,  or  thereabout,  they  very  seldom 
recurred.  Nowadays  it  is  not  often  that  any  other  colour 


232        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

than  red  is  seen  in  a  litter  of  Irish  Terriers,  although  a  white 
patch  on  the  breast  is  frequent,  as  it  is  in  all  self-coloured 
breeds. 

In  addition  to  the  early  celebrities  already  named,  Extreme 
Carelessness,  Michael,  Brickbat,  Poppy  II.,  Moya  Doolan, 
Straight  Tip,  and  Gaelic  have  taken  their  places  in  the  records 
of  the  breed,  while  yet  more  recent  Irish  Terriers  who  have 
achieved  fame  have  been  Mrs.  Butcher's  Bawn  Boy  and  Bawn 
Beauty,  Mr.  Wallace's  Treasurer,  Mr.  S.  Wilson's  Bolton 
Woods  Mixer,  Dr.  Smyth's  Sarah  Kidd,  and  Mr.  C.  J.  Barnett's 
Breda  Muddler. 

Naturally  in  the  case  of  a  breed  which  has  departed  from  its 
original  type,  discussions  were  frequent  before  a  standard  of 
perfection  for  the  Irish  Terrier  was  fixed.  His  size  and  weight, 
the  length  or  shortness  of  his  limbs,  the  carriage  of  his  tail,  the 
form  of  his  skull  and  muzzle,  the  colour  and  texture  of  his 
coat  were  the  subjects  of  controversy.  It  was  considered  at 
one  juncture  that  he  was  being  bred  too  big,  and  at  another 
that  he  was  being  brought  too  much  to  resemble  a  red  wire- 
hair  Fox-terrier.  When  once  the  black  marking  on  his  body 
had  been  eliminated  no  one  seems  to  have  desired  that  it 
should  be  restored.  Red  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  one 
and  only  colour  for  an  Irish  Terrier.  But  some  held  that 
the  correct  red  should  be  deep  auburn,  and  others  that 
wheaten  colour  was  the  tone  to  be  aimed  at.  A  medium 
shade  between  the  two  extremes  is  now  generally  preferred. 
As  to  size,  it  should  be  about  midway  between  that  of  the 
Airedale  and  the  Fox-terrier,  represented  by  a  weight  of  from 
22  to  27  Ib. 

The  two  breeds  just  mentioned  are,  as  a  rule,  superior  to 
the  Irish  Terrier  in  front  legs,  and  feet,  but  in  the  direction 
of  these  points  great  improvements  have  recently  been  ob- 
servable. The  heads  of  our  Irish  Terriers  have  also  been 
brought  nearer  to  a  level  of  perfection,  chiselled  to  the  desired 
degree  of  leanness,  with  the  determined  expression  so  character- 
istic of  the  breed,  and  with  the  length,  squareness,  and  strength 


THE  IRISH  TERRIER  233 

of  muzzle  which  formerly  were  so  difficult  to  find.  This 
squareness  of  head  and  jaw  is  an  important  point  to  be 
considered  when  choosing  an  Irish  Terrier. 

Opinions  differ  in  regard  to  slight  details  of  this  terrier's 
conformation,  but  the  official  description,  issued  by  the 
Irish  Terrier  Club,  supplies  a  guide  upon  which  the  uncertain 
novice  may  implicitly  depend  : — 

Head — Long  ;  skull  flat,  and  rather  narrow  between  ears,  getting 
slightly  narrower  towards  the  eye  ;  free  from  wrinkles  ;  stop  hardly 
visible  except  in  profile.  The  jaw  must  be  strong  and  muscular,  but 
not  too  full  in  the  cheek,  and  of  a  good  punishing  length.  There  should 
be  a  slight  falling  away  below  the  eye,  so  as  not  to  have  a  Greyhound 
appearance.  Hair  on  face  of  same  description  as  on  body,  but  short 
(about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long),  in  appearance  almost  smooth  and 
straight ;  a  slight  beard  is  the  only  longish  hair  (and  it  is  only  long  in 
comparison  with  the  rest)  that  is  permissible,  and  this  is  characteristic. 
Teeth — Should  be  strong  and  level.  Lips — Not  so  tight  as  a  Bull- 
terrier's,  but  well-fitting,  showing  through  the  hair  their  black  lining. 
Nose — Must  be  black.  Eyes — A  dark  hazel  colour,  small,  not  promi- 
nent, and  full  of  life,  fire,  and  intelligence.  Ears — Small  and  V-shaped, 
of  moderate  thickness,  set  well  on  the  head,  and  dropping  forward 
closely  to  the  cheek.  The  ear  must  be  free  of  fringe,  and  the  hair 
thereon  shorter  and  darker  in  colour  than  the  body.  Neck — Should  be 
of  a  fair  length,  and  gradually  widening  towards  the  shoulders,  well 
carried,  and  free  of  throatiness.  There  is  generally  a  slight  sort  of  frill 
visible  at  each  side  of  the  neck,  running  nearly  to  the  corner  of  the  ear. 
Shoulders  and  Chest — Shoulders  must  be  fine,  long,  and  sloping  well 
into  the  back  ;  the  chest  deep  and  muscular,  but  neither  full  nor 
wide.  Back  and  Loin — Body  moderately  long;  back  should  be  strong 
and  straight,  with  no  appearance  of  slackness  behind  the  shoulders  ; 
the  loin  broad  and  powerful,  and  slightly  arched  ;  ribs  fairly  sprung, 
rather  deep  than  round,  and  well  ribbed  back.  Hind-quarters — 
Should  be  strong  and  muscular,  thighs  powerful,  hocks  near  ground, 
stifles  moderately  bent.  Stern — Generally  docked  ;  should  be  free 
of  fringe  or  feather,  but  well  covered  with  rough  hair,  set  on  pretty 
high,  carried  gaily,  but  not  over  the  back  or  curled.  Feet  and  Legs — 
Feet  should  be  strong,  tolerably  round,  and  moderately  small ;  toes 
arched,  and  neither  turned  out  nor  in  ;  black  toe  nails  most  desirable. 
Legs  moderately  long,  well  set  from  the  shoulders,  perfectly  straight, 
-with  plenty  of  bone  and  muscle  ;  the  elbows  working  freely  clear  of 
the  sides  ;  pasterns  short  and  straight,  hardly  noticeable.  Both 
fore  and  hind  legs  should  be  moved  straight  forward  when  travelling, 
the  stifles  not  turned  outwards,  the  legs  free  of  feather,  and  covered, 
like  the  head,  with  as  hard  a  texture  of  coat  as  body,  but  not  so  long. 
Coat — Hard  and  wiry,  free  of  softness  or  silkiness,  not  so  long  as  to  hide 
the  outlines  of  the  body,  particularly  in  the  hind-quarters,  straight  and 
flat,  no  shagginess,  and  free  of  lock  or  curl.  Colour — Should  be  "  whole- 
coloured,"  the  most  preferable  being  bright  red,  red,  wheaten,  or  yellow 


234        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

red.  White  sometimes  appears  on  chest  and  feet ;  it  is  more  ob 
jectionable  on  the  latter  than  on  the  chest,  as  a  speck  of  white  on  chest 
is  frequently  to  be  seen  in  all  self-coloured  breeds.  Size  and  Symmetry 
— The  most  desirable  weight  in  show  condition  is,  for  a  dog  24  lb.,  and 
for  a  bitch  22  lb.  The  dog  must  present  an  active,  lively,  lithe,  and 
wiry  appearance  ;  lots  of  substance,  at  the  same  time  free  of  clumsiness, 
as  speed  and  endurance,  as  well  as  power,  are  very  essential.  They 
must  be  neither  cloddy  or  cobby,  but  should  be  framed  on  the  lines  of 
speed,  showing  a  graceful  racing  outline.  Temperament — Dogs  that 
are  very  game  are  usually  surly  or  snappish.  The  Irish  Terrier  as 
a  breed  is  an  exception,  being  remarkably  good-tempered,  notably 
so  with  mankind,  it  being  admitted,  however,  that  he  is  perhaps  a  little 
too  ready  to  resent  interference  on  the  part  of  other  dogs.  There  is  a 
heedless,  reckless  pluck  about  the  Irish  Terrier  which  is  characteristic. 
and,  coupled  with  the  headlong  dash,  blind  to  all  consequences,  with 
which  he  rushes  at  his  adversary,  has  earned  for  the  breed  the  proud 
epithet  of  "  The  Dare-Devils."  When  "  off-duty  "  they  are  char- 
acterised by  a  quiet,  caress-inviting  appearance,  and  when  one  sees 
them  endearingly,  timidly  pushing  their  heads  into  their  masters'  hands, 
it  is  difficult  to  realise  that  on  occasions,  at  the  "  set  on/'  they  can 
prove  they  have  the  courage  of  a  lion,  and  will  fight  unto  the  last 
breath  In  their  bodies.  They  develop  an  extraordinary  devotion  to 
and  have  been  known  to  track  their  masters  almost  incredible 
distances. 

It  is  difficult  to  refer  to  particular  Irish  Terriers  of  to-day 
without  making  invidious  distinctions.  There  are  so  many 
excellent  examples  of  the  breed  that  a  list  even  of  those  who 
have  gained  championship  honours  would  be  formidable. 
But  one  would  hardly  hesitate  to  head  the  list  with  the  name 
of  Paymaster,  a  dog  of  rare  and  almost  superlative  quality 
and  true  Irish  Terrier  character.  Paymaster  is  the  property 
of  Miss  Lilian  Paull,  of  Weston-super-Mare,  who  bred  him 
from  her  beautiful  bitch  Erasmic  from  Breda  Muddler,  the  sire 
of  many  of  the  best.  Side  by  side  with  Paymaster,  Mr.  F. 
Clifton's  Mile  End  Barrister  might  be  placed.  It  would  need 
a  council  of  perfection,  indeed,  to  decide  which  is  the  better 
dog  of  the  two.  Very  high  in  the  list,  also,  would  come  Mr. 
Henry  Ridley's  Redeemer  and  Mr.  Breakell's  Killarney  Sport. 
And  among  bitches  one  would  name  certainly  Mr.  Gregg's 
Belfast  Erin,  Mr.  Clifton's  Charwoman,  Mr.  Everill's  Erminie, 
and  Mr.  J.  S.  McComb's  Beeston  Betty.  These  are  but  half 
a  dozen,  but  they  represent  the  highest  level  of  excellence 


THE  IRISH  TERRIER  235 

that  has  yet  been  achieved  by  scientific  breeding  in  Irish 
Terrier  type. 

Breeding  up  to  the  standard  of  excellence  necessary  in 
competition  in  dog  shows  has  doubtless  been  the  agent  which 
has  brought  the  Irish  Terrier  to  its  present  condition  of  per- 
fection, and  it  is  the  means  by  which  the  general  dog  owning 
public  is  most  surely  educated  to  a  practical  knowledge  of 
what  is  a  desirable  and  what  an  undesirable  dog  to  possess. 
But,  after  all,  success  in  the  show  ring  is  not  the  one  and  only 
thing  to  be  aimed  at,  and  the  Irish  Terrier  is  not  to  be  regarded 
merely  as  the  possible  winner  of  prizes.  He  is  above  all  things 
a  dog  for  man's  companionship,  and  in  this  capacity  he  takes 
a  favoured  place.  He  has  the  great  advantage  of  being  equally 
suitable  for  town  and  country  life.  In  the  home  he  requires 
no  pampering  ;  he  has  a  good,  hardy  constitution,  and  when 
once  he  has  got  over  the  ills  incidental  to  puppyhood — 
worms  and  distemper — he  needs  only  to  be  judiciously  fed, 
kept  reasonably  clean,  and  to  have  his  fill  of  active  exercise. 
If  he  is  taught  to  be  obedient  and  of  gentlemanly  habit,  there 
is  no  better  house  dog.  He  is  naturally  intelligent  and  easily 
trained.  Although  he  is  always  ready  to  take  his  own  part, 
he  is  not  quarrelsome,  but  remarkably  good-tempered  and  a 
safe  associate  of  children.  Perhaps  with  his  boisterous  spirits 
he  is  prone  sometimes  to  be  over-zealous  in  the  pursuit 
of  trespassing  tabbies  and  in  assailing  the  ankles  of  intruding 
butcher  boys  and  officious  postmen.  These  characteristics 
come  from  his  sense  of  duty,  which  is  strongly  developed, 
and  careful  training  will  make  him  discriminative  in  his 
assaults. 

Very  justly  is  he  classed  among  the  sporting  dogs.  He  is  a 
born  sportsman,  and  of  his  pluck  it  were  superfluous  to  speak. 
Fear  is  unknown  to  him.  In  this  characteristic  as  in  all  others,, 
he  is  truly  a  son  of  Erin. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII 
THE  WELSH  TERRIER 

THIS  breed  is  near  akin  to  the  wire-hair  Fox-terrier,  the 
principal  differences  being  merely  of  colour  and  type.  The 
Welsh  Terrier  is  a  wire-haired  black  or  grizzle  and  tan.  The 
most  taking  colouring  is  a  jet  black  body  and  back  with  deep 
tan  head,  ears,  legs,  belly,  and  tail.  Several  specimens  have, 
however,  black  foreheads,  skulls,  ears,  and  tail,  and  the 
black  will  frequently  be  seen  also  extending  for  a  short  way 
down  the  legs.  There  must  be  no  black,  however,  below  the 
hock,  and  there  must  be  no  substantial  amount  of  white  any- 
where ;  a  dog  possessing  either  of  these  faults  is,  according 
to  the  recognised  standard  of  the  breed,  disqualified.  Many 
of  the  most  successful  bench  winners  have,  nevertheless, 
been  possessed  of  a  little  white  on  the  chest  and  even  a  few 
hairs  of  that  colour  on  their  hind  toes,  and,  apparently,  by 
the  common  consent  of  all  the  judges  of  the  breed,  they  have 
been  in  nowise  handicapped  for  these  blemishes. 

There  are  not  so  many  grizzle  coloured  Welsh  Terriers  now 
as  there  used  to  be.  A  grizzle  and  tan  never  looks  so  smart 
as  a  black  and  tan  ;  but  though  this  is  so,  if  the  grizzle  is 
of  a  dark  hard  colour,  its  owner  should  not  be  handicapped  as 
against  a  black  and  tan  ;  if,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  a  washed- 
out,  bluish-looking  grizzle,  a  judge  is  entitled  to  handicap  its 
possessor,  apart  altogether  from  the  fact  that  any  such  colour 
on  the  back  is  invariably  accompanied  by  an  objectionable 
light  tan  on  the  legs,  the  whole  being  a  certain  sign  of  a  soft, 
silky,  unterrierlike  coat. 

The  coat  of  the  Welsh  Terrier  slightly  differs  from  that  of  the 
Avire-hair  Fox-terrier  in  that  it  is,  as  a  rule,  not  so  abundant, 

236 


THE  WELSH  TERRIER  237 

and  is,  in  reality,  a  different  class  of  coat.  It  is  not  so  broken 
as  is  that  of  the  Fox-terrier,  and  is  generally  a  smoother, 
shorter  coat,  with  the  hairs  very  close  together.  When 
accompanied  with  this  there  is  a  dense  undercoat,  one  has, 
for  a  terrier  used  to  work  a  good  deal  in  water,  an  ideal  cover- 
ing, as  waterproof  almost  as  the  feathers  on  a  duck's  back. 
The  other  difference  between  the  Fox  and  Welsh  Terrier — viz., 
type — is  very  hard  to  define.  To  anyone  who  really  under- 
stands Welsh  Terriers,  the  selection  of  those  of  proper  type 
from  those  of  wrong  type  presents  little  if  any  difficulty. 

As  a  show-bench  exhibit  the  Welsh  Terrier  is  not  more 
than  twenty- two  years  old.  He  has,  however,  resided  in 
Wales  for  centuries. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  he  is  in  reality  identical  with  the 
old  black  and  tan  wire-haired  dog  which  was  England's  first 
terrier,  and  which  has  taken  such  a  prominent  part  in  the 
production  and  evolution  of  all  the  other  varieties  of  the 
sporting  terrier. 

There  are  several  people  living  in  or  about  Carnarvonshire 
who  can  show  that  Welsh  Terriers  have  been  kept  by  their 
ancestors  from,  at  any  rate,  a  hundred  to  two  hundred  years 
ago.  Notable  among  these  is  the  present  master  of  the  Ynysfor 
Otterhounds,  whose  great  grandfather,  John  Jones,  of  Ynys- 
for, owned  Welsh  Terriers  in  or  about  the  year  1760.  This 
pack  of  Otterhounds  has  always  been  kept  by  the  Jones 
of  Ynysfor,  who  have  always  worked  and  still  work  Welsh 
Terriers  with  them.  From  this  strain  some  good  terriers  have 
sprung,  and  this  although  neither  the  present  master  nor  any 
of  his  ancestors  have  concerned  themselves  greatly  about  the 
looks  of  their  terriers,  or  kept  anything  but  a  head  record  of 
their  pedigrees.  They  are  all,  however,  pure  bred,  and  are 
set  much  store  on  by  their  owner  and  his  family,  just  as  they 
always  have  been  by  their  predecessors. 

Until  about  the  year  1884  no  one  seems  to  have  considered 
the  question  of  putting  specimens  of  the  breed  on  the 
show  bench.  About  that  year,  however,  several  gentlemen 


238        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

interested  in  the  variety  met  together  to  see  what  could  be 
done  in  connection  with  the  matter,  the  outcome  being  that 
the  Welsh  Terrier  Club  was  shortly  afterwards  founded,  the 
Kennel  Club  recognised  the  breed,  and  the  terrier  himself 
began  his  career  as  a  show  dog. 

The  specimens  which  were  first  shown  were,  as  may  be 
imagined,  not  a  very  high-class-looking  lot.  Although  the 
breed  had  been  kept  pure,  no  care  had  been  taken  in  the  culture 
of  it,  except  that  which  was  necessary  to  produce  a  sporting 
game  terrier,  able  to  do  its  work.  One  can  readily  understand, 
therefore,  that  such  an  entirely  "  fancy  "  point  as  a  long 
foreface  and  narrow,  clean  skull  had  never  been  thought 
of  for  a  moment,  and  it  was  in  these  particulars  that  the  Welsh 
Terrier  at  first  failed,  from  a  show  point  of  view.  Naturally 
enough,  good  shoulders,  sound  hind-quarters,  more  than  fair 
legs  and  feet,  and  excellent  jackets  were  to  be  found  in  abund- 
ance, but  as  the  body  was  almost  invariably  surmounted  by  a 
very  short  and  wedge-shaped  head  and  jaw,  often  accompanied 
with  a  pair  of  heavy,  round  ears,  an  undershot  mouth,  and  a 
light,  full  eye,  it  will  be  realised  that  the  general  appearance 
of  the  dog  was  not  prepossessing.  . 

The  Welsh  Terrier  to-day  is  very  much  improved  beyond 
what  he  was  when  first  put  on  the  bench.  This  improvement 
has  been  brought  about  by  careful  and  judicious  breeding 
from  nothing  but  pure  bred  specimens.  No  outside  aid  has 
been  invoked — at  any  rate  in  the  production  of  any  of  the 
best  terriers — and  none  has  been  required.  It  is  a  matter  for 
great  congratulation  that  the  breed  has  been  kept  pure 
despite  all  temptation  and  exhortation. 

The  Welsh  Terrier  breeds  as  true  as  steel ;  you  know 
what  you  are  going  to  get.  Had  popular  clamour  had  its  way 
years  ago,  goodness  only  know  what  monstrosities  would  now 
be  being  bred. 

The  colour  of  the  Welsh  Terrier  is,  of  course,  against  him 
for  working  with  a  pack  of  hounds,  especially  in  water.  It 
is  only  fair,  however,  to  the  breed  to  say  that,  barring  this 


THE  WELSH  TERRIER  239 

colour  drawback,  there  is  no  better  terrier  to  hounds  living. 
They  are  not  quarrelsome,  show  very  little  jealousy  one  of 
another  in  working,  can  therefore  easily  be  used,  exercised,  and 
kennelled  together,  being  much  better  in  this  respect  than 
any  of  the  other  breeds  of  terriers.  They  also,  as  a  general 
rule,  are  dead  game  ;  they  want  a  bit  of  rousing,  and  are  not 
so  flashily,  showily  game  as,  say,  the  Fox-terrier ;  but,  just 
as  with  humans,  when  it  comes  to  real  business,  when  the  talk- 
ing game  is  played  out  and  there  is  nothing  left  but  the 
doing  part  of  the  business,  then  one's  experience  invariably  is 
that  the  quiet  man,  the  quiet  terrier,  is  the  animal  wanted 

On  the  formation  of  the  Welsh  Terrier  Club  a  standard 
of  perfection  was  drawn  up  and  circulated  with  the  club 
rules.  This  standard  has  remained  unchanged  up  to  the 
present  day,  and  is  as  follows  : — 

Head — The  skull  should  be  flat  and  rather  wider  between  the  ears 
than  the  wire-hair  Fox-terrier.  The  jaw  should  be  powerful,  clean  cut 
rather  deeper  and  more  punishing — giving  the  head  a  more  masculine 
appearance — than  that  usually  seen  in  a  Fox-terrier.  The  stop  not 
too  defined,  fair  length  from  stop  to  end  of  nose,  the  latter  being  of  a 
black  colour.  Ears — The  ears  should  be  V-shaped,  small,  not  too  thin, 
set  on  fairly  high,  carried  forward,  and  close  to  the  cheek.  Eyes — 
The  eyes  should  be  small,  not  being  too  deeply  set  in  or  protruding  out 
of  skull,  of  a  dark  hazel  colour,  expressive  and  indicating  abundant 
pluck.  Neck — The  neck  should  be  of  moderate  length  and  thickness, 
slightly  arched  and  sloping  gracefully  into  the  shoulders.  Body — 
The  back  should  be  short  and  well  ribbed  up,  the  loin  strong,  good 
depth,  and  moderate  width  of  chest.  The  shoulders  should  be  long, 
sloping  and  well  set  back.  The  hind-quarters  should  be  strong,  thighs 
muscular  and  of  good  length,  with  the  hocks  moderately  straight,  well  set 
down  and  fair  amount  of  bone.  The  stern  should  be  set  on  moderately 
high,  but  not  too  gaily  carried.  Legs  and  Feet — The  legs  should  be 
straight  and  muscular,  possessing  fair  amount  of  bone  with  upright  and 
powerful  pasterns.  The  feet  should  be  small,  round  and  catike. 
Coat — The  coat  should  be  wiry,  hard,  very  close  and  abundant.  Colour 
— The  colour  should  be  black  and  tan  or  black  grizzle  and  tan,  free 
from  black  pencilling  on  toes.  Size — The  height  at  shoulders  should 
be  15  inches  for  dogs,  bitches  proportionately  less.  Twenty  pounds 
shall  be  considered  a  fair  average  weight  in  working  condition,  but  this 
may  vary  a  pound  or  so  either  way. 

^^DISQUALIFYING  POINTS:  Nose  white,  cherry,  or  spotted  to  a 
considerable  extent  with  either  of  these  colours.  Ears  prick,  tulip,  or 
rose.  Undershot  jaw  or  pig  jawed  mouth.  Black  below  hocks  or  white 
anywhere  to  any  appreciable  extent,  black  pencilling  on  toes. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII 
THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER 

THE  Scottish  Terrier  as  a  show  dog  dates  from  about  1877 
to  1879.  He  seems  almost  at  once  to  have  attained  popularity, 
and  he  has  progressed  gradually  since  then,  ever  in  an  upward 
direction,  until  he  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
extensively  owned  varieties  of  the  dog.  Sir  Paynton  Pigott 
had,  at  the  date  mentioned,  a  very  fine  kennel  of  the  breed, 
for  in  The  Live  Stock  Journal  of  May  30th,  1879,  we  ^^  ms 
kennel  fully  reviewed  in  a  most  enthusiastic  manner  by  a 
correspondent  who  visited  it  in  consequence  of  a  controversy 
that  was  going  on  at  the  time,  as  to  whether  or  not  there 
was  such  a  dog  at  all,  and  who,  therefore,  wished  to  see  and 
judge  for  himself  as  to  this  point.  At  the  end  of  his  report  on 
the  kennel  the  writer  adds  these  words :  "It  was  certainly  one 
of  the  happiest  days  of  my  life  to  have  the  pleasure  of  looking 
over  so  many  grand  little  dogs,  but  to  find  them  in  England 
quite  staggered  me.  Four  dogs  and  eight  bitches  are  not  a 
bad  beginning,  and  with  care  and  judicious  selection  in 
mating,  I  have  little  doubt  but  Mr.  Pigott 's  kennel  will  be  as 
renowned  for  Terriers  as  the  late  Mr.  Laverack's  was  for  Setters. 
I  know  but  few  that  take  such  a  delight  in  the  brave  little 
'  die-hards  '  as  Mr.  Pigott,  and  he  may  well  feel  proud  of  the 
lot  he  has  got  together  at  great  trouble  and  expense." 

The  fact  that  there  was  such  a  kennel  already  in  existence 
proved,  of  course,  a  strong  point  in  favour  of  the  bona  fides 
of  the  breed.  The  best  dog  in  it  was  Granite,  whose  portrait 
and  description  were  given  in  the  Journal  in  connection  with 
the  said  review  ;  and  the  other  animals  of  the  kennel  being  of 

240 


I'Uotograph  by  T.  I'ull 
MRS    SPENCER'S   DANDIE   DINMONT  CH.  BRAW  LAD 


A  TYPICAL  AIREDALE   HEAD 


MR.  W.  L.  McCANDLISH'S  SCOTTISH  TERRIER 
EMS    COSMETIC 


THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER  241 

the  same  type,  it  was  at  once  recognised  that  there  was, 
in  fact,  such  a  breed,  and  the  mouths  of  the  doubters  were 
stopped. 

Granite  was  unquestionably  a  typical  Scottish  Terrier,  even 
as  we  know  them  at  the  present  day.  He  was  certainly  longer 
in  the  back  than  we  care  for  nowadays,  and  his  head  also  was 
shorter,  and  his  jaw  more  snipy  than  is  now  seen,  but  his 
portrait  clearly  shows  he  was  a  genuine  Scottish  Terrier, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  he,  with  his  kennel  mates,  Tartan, 
Crofter,  Syringa,  Cavack,  and  Posey,  conferred  benefit  upon 
the  breed. 

To  dive  deeper  into  the  antiquity  of  the  Scottish  Terrier  is 
a  thing  which  means  that  he  who  tries  it  must  be  prepared  to 
meet  all  sorts  of  abuse,  ridicule,  and  criticism.  One  man 
will  tell  you  there  never  was  any  such  thing  as  the  present- 
day  Scottish  Terrier,  that  the  mere  fact  of  his  having  prick 
ears  shows  he  is  a  mongrel ;  another,  that  he  is  merely  an 
offshoot  of  the  Skye  or  the  Dandie  ;  another,  that  the  only 
Scottish  Terrier  that  is  a  Scottish  Terrier  is  a  white  one  ; 
another,  that  he  is  merely  a  manufactured  article  from 
Aberdeen,  and  so  on  ad  infinitwn. 

It  is  a  most  extraordinary  fact  that  Scotland  should  have 
unto  herself  so  many  different  varieties  of  the  terrier.  There  is 
strong  presumption  that  they  one  and  all  came  originally  from 
one  variety,  and  it  is  quite  possible,  nay  probable,  that 
different  crosses  into  other  varieties  have  produced  the 
assortment  of  to-day.  The  writer  is  strongly  of  opinion  that 
there  still  exist  in  Scotland  at  the  present  time  specimens 
of  the  breed  which  propagated  the  lot,  which  was  what  is 
called  even  now  the  Highland  Terrier,  a  little  long-backed, 
short-legged,  snipy-faced,  prick  or  drop-eared,  mostly  sandy 
and  black-coloured  terrier,  game  as  a  pebble,  lively  as  a 
cricket,  and  all  in  all  a  most  charming  little  companion ; 
and  further,  that  to  produce  our  present-day  Scottish  Terrier — 
or  shall  we  say,  to  improve  the  points  of  his  progenitor  ? — 
the  assistance  of  our  old  friend  the  Black  and  Tan  wire-haired 
Q 


242        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

terrier  of  England  was  sought  by  a  few  astute  people  living 
probably  not  very  far  from  Aberdeen. 

Scottish  Terriers  frequently  go  by  the  name  of  Aberdeen 
Terriers — an  appellation,  it  is  true,  usually  heard  only  from 
the  lips  of  people  who  do  not  know  much  about  them.  Mr. 
W.  L.  McCandlish,  one  of  the  greatest  living  authorities 
on  the  breed,  in  an  able  treatise  published  some  time  back, 
tells  us,  in  reference  to  this  matter,  that  the  terrier  under 
notice  went  at  different  periods  under  the  names  of  Highland, 
Cairn,  Aberdeen,  and  Scotch  ;  that  he  is  now  known  by  the 
proud  title  of  Scottish  Terrier  ;  and  that  "  the  only  surviving 
trace  of  the  differing  nomenclature  is  the  title  Aberdeen,  which 
many  people  still  regard  as  a  different  breed — a  want  of 
knowledge  frequently  turned  to  account  by  the  unscrupulous 
dealer  who  is  able  to  sell  under  the  name  of  Aberdeen  a  dog 
too  bad  to  dispose  of  as  a  Scottish  Terrier."  But  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  originally  there  must  have  been  some  reason  for 
the  name.  In  a  letter  to  the  writer,  Sir  Paynton  Pigott 
says,  "  Some  people  call  them  and  advertise  them  as  the 
Aberdeen  Terrier,  which  is  altogether  a  mistake  ;  but  the 
reason  of  it  is  that  forty  years  ago  a  Dr.  Van  Bust,  who  lived  in 
Aberdeen,  bred  these  terriers  to  a  large  extent  and  sold  themi 
and  those  buying  them  called  them,  in  consequence, '  Aberdeen 
Terriers,'  whereas  they  were  in  reality  merely  a  picked  sort 
of  Old  Scotch  or  Highland  Terrier."  Sir  Paynton  himself, 
as  appears  from  the  columns  of  The  Live  Stock  Journal  (March 
2nd,  1877),  bought  some  of  the  strain  of  Van  Bust,  and  therein 
gives  a  full  description  of  the  same. 

Sir  Paynton  Pigott 's  kennel  of  the  breed  assumed  quite 
large  proportions,  and  was  most  successful,  several  times 
winning  all  the  prizes  offered  in  the  variety  at  different  shows. 
He  may  well  be  called  the  Father  of  the  breed  in  England,  for 
when  he  gave  up  exhibiting,  a  great  deal  of  his  best  blood 
got  into  the  kennels  of  Mr.  H.  J.  Ludlow,  who,  as  everyone 
knows,  has  done  such  a  tremendous  amount  of  good  in 
popularising  the  breed  and  has  also  himself  produced 


THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER  243 

such  a  galaxy  of  specimens  of  the  very  best  class. "  Mr. 
Ludlow's  first  terrier  was'  a  bitch  called  Splinter  II.  The 
name  of  Kildee  is,  in  the  breed,  almost  world-famous,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  in  every  line  does  he  go  back  to  the 
said  Splinter  II.  Rambler — called  by  the  great  authorities 
the  first  pillar  of  the  stud  book — was  a  son  of  a  dog  called 
Bon-Accord,  and  it  is  to  this  latter  dog  and  Roger  Rough,  and 
also  the  aforesaid  Tartan  and  Splinter  II.  that  nearly  all  of 
the  best  present-day  pedigrees  go  back.  This  being  so,  it 
is  unnecessary  to  give  many  more  names  of  dogs  who  have  in 
their  generations  of  some  years  back  assisted  in  bringing  the 
breed  to  its  present  state  of  perfection.  An  exception,  how- 
ever, must  be  made  in  the  case  of  two  sons  of  Rambler,  by 
name  Dundee  and  Alister,  names  very  familiar  in  the  Scottish 
Terrier  pedigrees  of  the  present  day.  Alister  especially  was 
quite  an  extraordinary  stud  dog.  His  progeny  were  legion, 
and  some  very  good  terriers  of  to-day  own  him  as  progenitor 
in  nearly  every  line.  The  best  descendants  of  Alister  were 
Kildee,  Tiree,  Whinstone,  Prince  Alexander,  and  Heather 
Prince.  He  was  apparently  too  much  inbred  to,  and  though 
he  produced  or  was  responsible  for  several  beautiful  terriers, 
it  is  much  to  be  doubted  whether  in  a  breed  which  is  suffering 
from  the  ill-effects  of  too  much  inbreeding,  he  was  not  one  of 
the  greatest  sinners. 

The  Scottish  Terrier  Club  was  formed  in  the  year  1882.  In  the 
same  year  a  joint  committee  drew  up  a  standard  of  perfection 
for  the  breed,  Messrs.  J.  B.  Morison  and  Thomson  Gray, 
two  gentlemen  who  were  looked  upon  as  great  authorities, 
having  a  good  deal  to  do  with  it. 

STANDARD  OF  POINTS  OF  THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER :  Skull- 
Proportionately  long,  slightly  domed  and  covered  with  short  hard  hair 
about  |  inch  long  or  less.  It  should  not  be  quite  flat,  as  there  should 
be  a  sort  of  stop  or  drop  between  the  eyes.  Muzzle — Very  powerful, 
and  gradually  tapering  towards  the  nose,  which  should  always  be 
black  and  of  a  good  size.  The  jaws  should  be  perfectly  level,  and  the 
teeth  square,  though  the  nose  projects  somewhat  over  the  mouth 
which  gives  the  impression  of  the  upper  jaw  being  longer  than  the  under 
one.  Eyes — A  dark-brown  or  hazel  colour  ;  small,  piercing,  very  bright 


244        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  rather  sunken.  Ears — Very  small,  prick  or  half  prick  (the  former 
is  preferable),  but  never  drop.  They  should  also  be  sharp  pointed, 
and  the  hair  on  them  should  not  be  long,  but  velvety,  and  they  should 
not  be  cut.  The  ears  should  be  free  from  any  fringe  at  the  top.  Neck — 
Short,  thick  and  muscular  ;  strongly  set  on  sloping  shoulders.  Chest — 
Broad  in  comparison  to  the  size  of  the  dog,  and  proportionately  deep. 
Body — Of  moderate  length,  but  not  so  long  as  a  Skye's,  and' rather 
flat-sided  ;  well  ribbed  up,  and  exceedingly  strong  in  hind-quarters. 
Legs  and  Feet — Both  fore  and  hind  legs  should  be  short  and  very 
heavy  in  bone,  the  former  being  straight  and  well  set  on  under  the  body, 
as  the  Scottish  Terrier  should  not  be  out  at  elbows.  The  hocks  should 
be  bent,  and  the  thighs  very  muscular,  and  the  feet  strong,  small  and 
thickly  covered  with  short  hair,  the  fore  feet  being  larger  than  the 
hind  ones.  Tall — Should  be  about  7  inches  long,  never  docked,  carried 
with  a  slight  bend  and  often  gaily.  Coat — Should  be  rather  short 
(about  2  inches),  intensely  hard  and  wiry  in  texture,  and  very  dense  all 
over  the  body.  Size — From  15  Ib.  to  20  Ib. ;  the  best  weight  being  as 
near  as  possible  18  Ib.  for-dogs,  and  16  Ib.  for  bitches  when  in  condition 
for  work.  Colour — Steel  or  iron  grey,  black  brindle,  brown  brindle,  grey 
brindle,  black,  sandy  and  wheaten.  White  markings  are  objectionable, 
and  can  only  be  allowed  on  the  chest  and  to  a  small  extent.  General 
Appearance — The  face  should  wear  a  very  sharp,  bright  and  active 
expression,  and  the  head  should  be  carried  up.  The  dog  (owing  to  the 
shortness  of  his  coat)  should  appear  to  be  higher  on  the  leg  than  he 
really  is  ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  should  look  compact  and  possessed 
of  great  muscle  in  his  hind-quarters.  In  fact,  a  Scottish  Terrier,  though 
essentially  a  terrier,  cannot  be  too  powerfully  put  together,  and  should 
be  from  about  9  inches  to  12  inches  in  height. 

SPECIAL  FAULTS :  Muzzle— Either  under  or  over  hung.  Eyes- 
Large  or  light-coloured.  Ears — Large,  round  at  the  points  or  drop. 
It  is  also  a  fault  if  they  are  too  heavily  covered  with  hair.  Leffs — 
Bent,  or  slightly  bent,  and  out  at  elbows.  Coat — Any  silkiness,  wave 
or  tendency  to  curl  is  a  serious  blemish,  as  is  also  an  open  coat.  Size — 
Specimens  of  over  20  Ib.  should  be  discouraged. 

There  have,  of  recent  years,  been  many  very  excellent 
specimens  of  the  Scottish  Terrier  bred  and  exhibited.  Pre- 
eminent among  them  stands  Mrs.  Hannay's  Ch.  Heworth 
Rascal,  who  was  a  most  symmetrical  terrier,  and  probably 
the  nearest  approach  to  perfection  in  the  breed  yet  seen. 
Other  very  first-class  terriers  have  been  the  same  lady's 
Ch.  Gair,  Mr.  Powlett's  Ch.  Callum  Dhu,  Mr.  McCandlish's 
Ems  Cosmetic,  Mr.  Chapman's  Heather  Bob  and  Heather 
Charm,  Mr.  Kinnear's  Seafield  Rascal,  Mr.  Wood's  Hyndman 
Chief,  Messrs.  Buckley  and  Mills's  Clonmel  Invader,  and  Mr. 
Deane  Willis's  Ch.  Huntley  Daisy  and  Ch.  Carter  Laddie. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  of  all  the  terrier  tribe,   the 


THE  SCOTTISH  TERRIER  245 

"  Scottie,"  taken  as  a  whole,  is  the  best  companion.  He 
makes  a  most  excellent  house-dog,  is  not  too  big,  does  not 
leave  white  hairs  about  all  over  the  place,  loves  only  his  master 
and  his  master's  household,  and  is,  withal,  a  capable  and 
reliable  guard.  He  is,  as  a  rule,  a  game,  attractive  terrier, 
with  heaps  of  brain  power,  and  from  a  show  point  of  view 
there  is  always  some  recompense  in  keeping  him,  as  it  will  be 
found  he  breeds  true  to  type  and  does  not  beget  offspring  of  all 
sorts,  shapes,  and  makes. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 
THE   WEST   HIGHLAND   WHITE  TERRIER 

MAN,  being  a  hunting  animal,  kills  the  otter  for  his  skin,  and 
the  badger  also ;  the  fox  he  kills  because  the  animal  likes 
lamb  and  game  to  eat.  Man,  being  unable  to  deal  in  the  course 
of  a  morning  with  the  rocks  under  and  between  which  his 
quarry  harbours,  makes  use  of  the  small  dog  which  will  go 
underground,  to  which  the  French  name  terrier  has  been 
attached. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  reign  of  James  the  First  of  England 
and  Sixth  of  Scotland,  we  find  him  writing  to  Edinburgh  to 
have  half  a  dozen  "  earth  dogges  or  terrieres  "  sent  care- 
fully to  France  as  a  present,  and  he  directs  that  they  be  got 
from  Argyll,  and  sent  over  in  two  or  more  ships  lest  they 
should  get  harm  by  the  way.  That  was  roughly  three  hundred 
years  ago,  and  the  King  most  probably  would  not  have  so 
highly  valued  a  newly-invented  strain  as  he  evidently  did 
value  the  "  terrieres  "  from  Argyll.  We  may  take  it  then 
that  in  1600  the  Argyllshire  terriers  were  considered  to  be  the 
best  in  Scotland,  and  likely  enough  too,  seeing  the  almost 
boundless  opportunities  the  county  gives  for  the  work  of  the 
"  earth  dogges." 

But  men  kept  their  dogs  in  the  evil  pre-show  days  for  work 
and  not  for  points,  and  mighty  indifferent  were  they  whether 
an  ear  cocked  up  or  lay  flat  to  the  cheek,  whether  the  tail  was 
exactly  of  fancy  length,  or  how  high  to  a  hair's  breadth  it 
stood.  These  things  are  sine  qua  non  on  the  modern  show 
bench,  but  were  not  thought  of  in  the  cruel,  hard  fighting  days 
of  old. 

246 


WEST  HIGHLAND  WHITE  TERRIER    247 

In  those  days  two  things — and  two  things  only — were 
imperatively  necessary  :  pluck  and  capacity  to  get  at  the 
quarry.  This  entailed  that  the  body  in  which  the  pluck 
was  enshrined  must  be  small  and  most  active,  to  get  at  the 
innermost  recesses  of  the  lair,  and  that  the  body  must  be  pro- 
tected by  the  best  possible  teeth  and  jaws  for  fighting,  on  a 
strong  and  rather  long  neck  and  directed  by  a  most  capable 
brain.  It  is  held  that  feet  turned  out  a  little  are  better  for 
scrambling  up  rocks  than  perfectly  straight  Fox-terrier  like 
feet.  In  addition,  it  was  useful  to  have  your  dog  of  a  colour 
easy  to  see  when  in  motion,  though  no  great  weight  was  laid 
upon  that  point,  as  in  the  days  before  newspapers  and  trains 
men's  eyes  were  good,  as  a  rule.  Still,  the  quantity  of  white 
in  the  existing  terriers  all  through  the  west  coast  of  Scotland 
shows  that  it  must  have  been  rather  a  favoured  colour. 

White  West  Highland  Terriers  were  kept  at  Poltalloch  sixty 
years  ago,  and  so  they  were  first  shown  as  Poltalloch  Terriers. 
Yet  although  they  were  kept  in  their  purest  strain  in 
Argyllshire,  they  are  still  to  be  found  all  along  the  west  coast 
of  Scotland,  good  specimens  belonging  to  Ross-shire,  to  Skye, 
and  at  Baliachulish  on  Loch  Leven,  so  that  it  is  a  breed  with 
a  long  pedigree  and  not  an  invented  breed  of  the  present  day. 
Emphatically,  they  are  not  simply  white  coloured  Scottish 
Terriers,  and  it  is  an  error  to  judge  them  on  Scottish  Terrier 
lines.  They  are  smaller  than  the  average  Scottie,  more 
"  foxy  "  in  general  conformation — straight  limbed,  rather 
long,  rather  low,  and  active  in  body,  with  a  broad  forehead, 
light  muzzle  and  underjaw,  and  a  bright,  small  intelligent  eye. 
Colonel  Malcolm,  of  Poltalloch,  who  is  recognised  as  the  great 
authority  on  the  breed,  lays  stress  upon  the  quality  of  the  coat. 
"  The  outer  coat,"  he  says,  "  should  be  very  soft  on  the  fore- 
head and  get  gradually  harder  towards  the  haunches,  but  the 
harsh  coat  beloved  of  the  show  bench  is  all  nonsense,  and  is  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  '  fake/  as  any  one  can  try  who  will 
dip  his  own  hair  into  the  now  fashionable  '  anturic  '  baths. 
The  outer  coat  should  be  distinctly  long,  but  not  long  in  the 


248        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

'  fancy '  or  show  sense.  Still,  it  should  be  long  enough 
to  hang  as  a  thatch  over  the  soft,  woolly  real  coat  of  the  animal- 
and  keep  it  dry  so  that  a  good  shake  or  two  will  throw  off 
most  of  the  water ;  while  the  under  coat  should  be  so  thick 
and  naturally  oily  that  the  dog  can  swim  through  a  fair- 
sized  river  and  not  get  wet,  or  be  able  to  sit  out  through  a 
drenching  rain  guarding  something  of  his  master's  and  be 
none  the  worse.  This  under  coat  I,  at  least,  have  never  seen 
a  judge  look  for,  but  for  the  working  terrier  it  is  most  important. 
The  size  of  the  dog  is  perhaps  best  indicated  by  weight.  The 
dog  should  not  weigh  more  than  18  lb.,  nor  the  bitch  more 
than  16  lb. 

"  There  is  among  judges,  I  find — with  all  respect  I  say  it — 
an  undue  regard  for  weight  and  what  is  called  strength,  also 
for  grooming,  which  means  brushing  or  plucking  out  all  the 
long  hair  to  gratify  the  judge.  One  might  as  well  judge  of 
Sandow's  strength,  not  by  his  performances,  but  by  the  kind 
of  wax  he  puts  on  his  moustache  ! 

"  The  West  Highland  Terrier  of  the  old  sort— I  do  not,  of 
course,  speak  of  bench  dogs — earned  their  li ving  following  fox, 
badger,  or  otter  wherever  these  went  underground,  between, 
over,  or  under  rocks  that  no  man  could  get  at  to  move,  and 
some  of  such  size  that  a  hundred  men  could  not  move  them. 
(And  oh  !  the  beauty  of  their  note  when  they  came  across  the 
right  scent !)  I  want  my  readers  to  understand  this,  and  not 
to  think  of  a  Highland  fox-cairn  as  if  it  were  an  English  fox- 
earth  dug  in  sand  ;  nor  of  badger  work  as  if  it  were  a  question 
of  locating  the  badger  and  then  digging  him  out.  No  ;  the 
badger  makes  his  home  amongst  rocks,  the  small  ones  perhaps 
two  or  three  tons  in  weight,  and  probably  he  has  his  '  hinner 
end  '  against  one  of  three  or  four  hundred  tons — no  digging 
him  out — and,  moreover,  the  passages  between  the  rocks 
must  be  taken  as  they  are  ;  no  scratching  them  a  little  wider. 
So  if  your  dog's  ribs  are  a  trifle  too  big  he  may  crush  one  or 
two  through  the  narrow  slit  and  then  stick.  He  will  never  be 
able  to  pull  himself  back — at  least,  until  starvation  has  so 


WEST  HIGHLAND  WHITE  TERRIER    249 

reduced  him  that  he  will  probably  be  unable,  if  set  free,  to  win 
(as  we  say  in  Scotland)  his  way  back  to  the  open. 

"  I  remember  a  tale  of  one  of  my  father's  terriers  who  got  so 
lost.  The  keepers  went  daily  to  the  cairn  hoping  against  hope. 
At  last  one  day  a  pair  of  bright  eyes  were  seen  at  the  bottom 
of  a  hole.  They  did  not  disappear  when  the  dog's  name  was 
called.  A  brilliant  idea  seized  one  of  the  keepers.  The 
dog  evidently  could  not  get  up,  so  a  rabbit  skin  was  folded 
into  a  small  parcel  round  a  stone  and  let  down  by  a  string. 
The  dog  at  once  seized  the  situation — and  the  skin — held  on, 
was  drawn  up,  and  fainted  on  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  hole. 
He  was  carried  home  tenderly  and  nursed  ;  he  recovered." 

Referring  to  the  characteristics  of  this  terrier,  Colonel 
Malcolm  continues  : — "  Attention  to  breeding  as  to  colour  has 
undoubtedly  increased  the  whiteness,  but,  other  points  being 
good,  a  dog  of  the  West  Highland  White  Terrier  breed  is  not 
to  be  rejected  if  he  shows  his  descent  by  a  slight  degree  of 
pale  red  or  yellow  on  his  back  or  his  ears.  I  know  an  old 
Argyllshire  family  who  consider  that  to  improve  their  terriers 
they  ought  all  to  have  browny  yellow  ears.  Neither  again, 
except  for  the  show  bench,  is  there  the  slightest  objection  to 
half  drop  ears — i.e.,  the  points  of  one  or  both  ears  just  falling 
over. 

"  Unfortunately,  the  show  bench  has  a  great  tendency  to 
spoil  all  breeds  from  too  much  attention  being  given  to  what  is 
evident — and  ears  are  grand  things  for  judges  to  pin  their 
faith  to  ;  also,  they  greatly  admire  a  fine  long  face  and  what 
is  called — but  wrongly  called — a  strong  jaw,  meaning  by  that 
an  ugly,  heavy  face.  I  have  often  pointed  out  that  the  tiger, 
the  cat,  the  otter,  all  animals  remarkable  for  their  strength 
of  jaw,  have  exceedingly  short  faces,  but  their  bite  is  cruelly 
hard.  And  what,  again,  could  be  daintier  than  the  face  of  a 
fox? 

"  The  terrier  of  the  West  Highlands  of  Scotland  has  come 
down  to  the  present  day,  built  on  what  I  may  perhaps  call  the 
fox  lines,  and  it  is  a  type  evolved  by  work — hard  and  deadly 


250        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

dangerous  work.  It  is  only  of  late  years  that  dogs  have  been 
bred  for  show.  The  so-called  '  Scottish  '  Terrier,  which  at 
present  rules  the  roost,  dates  from  1879  as  a  show  dog. 

"  I  therefore  earnestly  hope  that  no  fancy  will  arise  about 
these  dogs  which  will  make  them  less  hardy,  less  wise,  less 
companionable,  less  active,  or  less  desperate  fighters  under- 
ground than  they  are  at  present.  A  young  dog  that  I  gave  to  a 
keeper  got  its  stomach  torn  open  in  a  fight.  It  came  out  of 
the  cairn  to  its  master  to  be  helped.  He  put  the  entrails 
back  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  and  then  the  dog  slipped  out 
of  his  hands  to  finish  the  fight,  and  forced  the  fox  out  into  the 
open  !  That  is  the  spirit  of  the  breed  ;  but,  alas,  that  cannot 
be  exhibited  on  the  show  bench.  They  do  say  that  a  keeper 
of  mine,  when  chaffed  by  the  '  fancy  '  about  the  baby  faces 
of  his  '  lot,'  was  driven  to  ask,  '  Well,  can  any  of  you  gentle- 
men oblige  me  with  a  cat,  and  I'll  show  you  ?  '  I  did  not 
hear  him  say  it,  so  it  may  only  be  a  tale. 

"  Anyhow,  I  have  in  my  kennel  a  dog  who,  at  ten  months  old, 
met  a  vixen  fox  as  she  was  bolting  out  of  her  cairn,  and  he  at 
once  caught  her  by  the  throat,  stuck  to  her  till  the  pack  came 
up,  and  then  on  till  she  was  killed.  In  the  course  of  one 
month  his  wounds  were  healed,  and  he  had  two  other  classical 
fights,  one  with  a  cat  and  the  other  with  a  dog  fox.  Not  bad 
for  a  pup  with  a  '  baby  face  ?  ' 

"  I  trust  my  readers  understand  that  the  West  Highland 
White  Terriers  are  not  White  Aberdeens,  not  a  new  invention, 
but  have  a  most  respectable  ancestry  of  their  own.  I  add  the 
formal  list  of  points,  but  this  is  the  work  of  show  bench 
experts — and  it  will  be  seen  from  what  I  have  written  that  I 
do  not  agree  with  them  on  certain  particulars.  There  should 
be  feather  to  a  fair  degree  on  the  tail,  but  if  experts  will  not 
allow  it,  put  rosin  on  your  hands  and  pull  the  hair  out — and 
the  rosin  will  win  your  prize.  The  eye  should  not  be  sunk, 
which  gives  the  sulky  look  of  the  '  Scotch  '  Terrier,  but  should 
be  full  and  bright,  and  the  expression  friendly  and  confiding. 
The  skull  should  not  be  narrow  anywhere.  It  is  almost 


WEST  HIGHLAND  WHITE  TERRIER    251 

impossible  to  get  black  nails  in  a  dog  of  pure  breed  and  the 
black  soon  wears  off  the  pad  work,  so  folk  must  understand 
this.  On  two  occasions  recently  I  have  shown  dogs,  acknow- 
ledged, as  dogs,  to  be  quite  first  class,  '  but,  you  see,  they  are 
not  the  proper  type.'  The  judges  unfortunately  have  as 
yet  their  eyes  filled  with  the  '  Scottish  '  terrier  type  and  prefer 
mongrels  that  show  it  to  the  real '  Simon  Pure.'  " 

STANDARD  OF  POINTS  :  The  General  Appearance  of  the  West 
Highland  White  Terrier  is  that  of  a  small,  game,  hardy-looking  terrier, 
possessed  with  no  small  amount  of  self-esteem,  with  a  "  varminty  " 
appearance,  strongly  built,  deep  in  chest  and  back  ribs,  straight  back 
and  powerful  quarters,  on  muscular  legs  and  exhibiting  in  a  marked 
degree  a  great  combination  of  strength  and  activity.  Colour — White. 
Coat — Very  important,  and  seldom  seen  to  perfection  ;  must  be  double- 
coated.  The  outer  coat  consists  of  hard  hair,  about  2$  inches  long, 
and  free  from  any  curl.  The  under  coat,  which  resembles  fur,  is  short, 
soft,  and  close.  Open  coats  are  objectionable.  Size — Dogs  to  weigh 
from  14  to  18  lb.,  and  bitches  from  12  to  16  lb.,  and  measure  from  8  to 
12  inches  at  the  shoulder.  Skull — Should  not  be  too  narrow,  being  in 
proportion  to  his  powerful  jaw,  proportionately  long,  slightly  domed, 
and  gradually  tapering  to  the  eyes,  between  which  there  should  be  a 
slight  indentation  or  stop.  Eyebrows  heavy.  The  hair  on  the  skull 
to  be  from  f  to  1  inch  long,  and  fairly  hard.  Eyes — Widely  set  apart, 
medium  in  size,  dark  hazel  in  colour,  sightly  sunk  in  the  head,  sharp 
and  intelligent,  which,  looking  from  under  the  heavy  eyebrows,  give 
a  piercing  look.  Full  eyes,  and  also  light-coloured  eyes,  are  very 
objectionable.  Muzzle — Should  be  powerful,  proportionate  in  length, 
and  should  gradually  taper  towards  the  nose,  which  should  be  fairly 
wide,  and  should  not  project  forward  beyond  the  upper  jaw.  The 
jaws  level  and  powerful,  and  teeth  square  or  evenly  met,  well  setr 
and  large  for  the  size  of  the  dog.  The  nose  and  roof  of  mouth  should 
be  distinctly  black  in  colour.  Ears — Small,  carried  erect  or  semi-erect, 
but  never  drop,  and  should  be  carried  tightly  up.  The  semi-erect 
ear  should  drop  nicely  over  at  the  tips,  the  break  being  about  three- 
quarters  up  the  ear,  and  both  forms  of  ears  should  terminate  in  a  sharp 
point.  The  hair  on  them  should  be  short,  smooth  (velvety),  and  they 
should  not  be  cut.  The  ears  should  be  free  from  any  fringe  at  the  top. 
Round,  pointed,  broad  and  large  ears  are  very  objectionable,  also  ears 
too  heavily  covered  with  hair.  Neck — Muscular,  and  nicely  set  on 
sloping  shoulders.  Chest — Very  deep,  with  breadth  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  dog.  Body — Compact,  straight  back,  ribs  deep  and  well 
arched  in  the  upper  half  of  rib,  presenting  a  flattish  side  appearance. 
Loins  broad  and  strong.  Hind-quarters  strong,  muscular,  and  wide 
across  the  top.  Legs  and  Feet — Both  fore  and  hind  legs  should  be 
short  and  muscular.  The  shoulder  blades  should  be  comparatively 
broad,  and  well-sloped  backwards.  The  points  of  the  shoulder  blades 
should  be  closely  knit  into  the  backbone,  so  that  very  little  movement 
of  them  should  be  noticeable  when  the  dog  is  walking.  The  elbow 


252        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

should  be  close  in  to  the  body  both  when  moving  or  standing,  thus 
causing  the  fore-leg  to  be  well  placed  in  under  the  shoulder.  The  fore- 
legs should  be  straight  and  thickly  covered  with  short  hard  hair. 
The  hind-legs  should  be  short  and  sinewy.  The  thighs  very  muscular 
and  not  too  wide  apart.  The  hocks  bent  and  well  set  in  under  the 
body,  so  as  to  be  fairly  close  to  each  other  either  when  standing,  walking, 
or  running  (trotting) ;  and,  when  standing,  the  hind-legs,  from  the 
point  of  the  hock  down  to  fetlock  joint,  should  be  straight  or  per- 
pendicular and  not  far  apart.  The  fore-feet  are  larger  than  the  hind 
ones,  are  round,  proportionate  in  size,  strong,  thickly  padded,  and 
covered  with  short  hard  hair.  The  foot  must  point  straight  forward. 
The  hind-feet  are  smaller,  not  quite  as  round  as  fore-feet,  and  thickly 
padded.  The  under  surface  of  the  pads  of  feet  and  all  the  nails  should 
be  distinctly  black  in  colour.  Hocks  too  much  bent  (cow  hocks) 
detract  from  the  general  appearance.  Straight  hocks  are  weak. 
Both  kinds  are  undesirable,  and  should  be  guarded  against.  Tail — 
Six  or  seven  inches  long,  covered  with  hard  hairs,  no  feathers,  as  straight 
as  possible  ;  carried  gaily,  but  not  curled  over  back.  A  long  t;iil 
is  objectionable.  Movement — Should  be  free,  straight,  and  easy  all 
round.  In  front,  the  leg  should  be  freely  extended  forward  by  the 
shoulder.  The  hind  movement  should  be  free,  strong,  and  close. 
The  hocks  should  be  freely  flexed  and  drawn  dose  in  under  the  body, 
so  that,  when  moving  off  the  foot,  the  body  is  thrown  or  pushed  forward 
with  some  force.  Stiff,  stilty  movement  behind  is  very  objectionable. 
FAULTS  :  Coat — Any  silkiness,  wave,  or  tendency  to  curl  is  a  serious 
blemish,  as  is  also  an  open  coat.  Black  or  grey  hairs  disqualify  for 
competition.  Size — Any  specimens  under  the  minimum,  or  above  the 
maximum  weight,  are  objectionable.  Eyes — Full  or  light  coloured. 
Ears — Round-pointed,  drop,  broad  and  large,  or  too  heavily  covered 
with  hair.  Muzzle — Either  under  or  over  shot,  and  defective  teeth. 


COL.    MALCOLM'S    WEST    HIGHLAND  WHITE    TERRIERS 
SONNY    AND    SARAH 


Photograph  by  T.  I' all 

MISS    E.  McCHEANE'S  SKYE  TERRIERS    CH.   FAIRFIELD   DIAMOND 
AND    CH.    WOLVERLEY    CHUMMIE 


CHAPTER    XL 

THE   DANDIE   DINMONT 

THE  breed  of  terrier  now  known  as  the  Dandle  Dinmont  is  one 
of  the  races  of  the  dog  which  can  boast  of  a  fairly  ancient 
lineage.  Though  it  is  impossible  now  to  say  what  was  the 
exact  origin  of  this  breed,  we  know  that  it  was  first  recognised 
under  its  present  name  after  the  publication  of  Scott's  Guy 
Mannering,  in  the  year  1814,  and  we  know  that  for  many 
years  previously  there  had  existed  in  the  Border  counties  a 
rough-haired,  short -legged  race  of  terrier,  the  constant  and 
very  effective  companion  of  the  Border  farmers  and  others  in 
their  fox-hunting  expeditions. 

Various  theories  have  been  suggested  by  different  writers 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  breed  was  founded.  Some  say 
that  the  Dandie  is  the  result  of  crossing  a  strain  of  rough-haired 
terriers  with  the  Dachshund  ;  others  that  a  rough-haired 
terrier  was  crossed  with  the  Otterhound  ;  and  others  again 
assert  that  no  direct  cross  was  ever  introduced  to  found  the 
breed,  but  that  it  was  gradually  evolved  from  the  rough-haired 
terriers  of  the  Border  district.  And  this  latter  theory  is 
probably  correct. 

The  Dandie  would  appear  to  be  closely  related  to  the  Bed- 
lington  Terrier.  In  both  breeds  we  find  the  same  indomitable 
pluck,  the  same  pendulous  ear,  and  a  light  silky  "  topknot  " 
adorning  the  skull  of  each  ;  but  the  Dandie  was  evolved  into  a 
long-bodied,  short-legged  dog,  and  the  Bedlington  became 
a  long-legged,  short-bodied  dog  !  Indeed  to  illustrate  the 
close  relationship  of  the  two  breeds  a  case  is  quoted  of  the  late 
Lord  Antrim,  who,  in  the  early  days  of  dog  shows,  exhibited 

253 


254        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

two  animals  from  the  same  litter,  and  with  the  one  obtained  a 
prize  or  honourable  mention  in  the  Dandie  classes,  and  with 
the  other  a  like  distinction  in  the  Bedlington  classes. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  give  a  few  particulars  concerning  the 
traceable  ancestors  of  the  modern  Dandie.  In  Mr.  Charles 
Cook's  book  on  this  breed,  we  are  given  particulars  of  one 
William  Allan,  of  Holystone,  born  in  1704,  and  known  as 
Piper  Allan,  and  celebrated  as  a  hunter  of  otters  and  foxes, 
and  for  his  strain  of  rough-haired  terriers  who  so  ably  assisted 
him  in  the  chase.  William  Allan's  terriers  descended  to  his 
son  James,  also  known  as  the  "  Piper,"  and  born  in  the  year 
1734.  James  Allan  died  in  1810,  and  was  survived  by  a 
son  who  sold  to  Mr.  Francis  Somner  at  Yetholm  a  terrier  dog 
named  Old  Pepper,  descended  from  his  grandfather's  famous 
dog  Hitchem.  Old  Pepper  was  the  great-grandsire  of  Mr. 
Somner's  well-known  dog  Shem.  These  terriers  belonging  to 
the  Allans  and  others  in  the  district  are  considered  by  Mr. 
Cook  to  be  the  earliest  known  ancestors  of  the  modern  Dandie 
Dinmont. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  himself  informs  us  that  he  did  not  draw  the 
character  of  Dandie  Dinmont  from  any  one  individual  in 
particular,  but  that  the  character  would  well  fit  a  dozen  or 
more  of  the  Lidderdale  yeomen  of  his  acquaintance.  How- 
ever, owing  to  the  circumstance  of  his  calling  all  his  terriers 
Mustard  and  Pepper,  without  any  other  distinction  except 
"  auld  "  and  "  young  "  and  "  little,"  the  name  came  to  be 
fixed  by  his  associates  upon  one  James  Davidson,  of  Hindlee, 
a  wild  farm  in  the  Teviotdale  mountains. 

James  Davidson  died  in  the  year  1820,  by  which  time  the 
Dandie  Dinmont  Terrier  was  being  bred  in  considerable  num- 
bers by  the  Border  farmers  and  others  to  meet  the  demand 
for  it  which  had  sprung  up  since  the  appearance  of  Guy 
Mannering. 

As  a  result  of  the  controversies  that  were  continually  re- 
curring with  regard  to  the  points  of  a  typical  Dandie  Dinmont 
there  was  formed  in  the  year  1876  the  Dandie  Dinmont  Terrier 


THE  DANDIE  DINMONT  255 

Club,  with  the  object  of  settling  the  question  for  ever,  and  for 
this  purpose  all  the  most  noted  breeders  and  others  interested 
were  invited  to  give  their  views  upon  it. 

The  standard  of  points  adopted  by  the  club  is  as  follows  : — 

Head — Strongly  made  and  large,  not  out  of  proportion  to  the  dog's 
size  ;  the  muscles  showing  extraordinary  development,  more  especially 
the  maxillary.  Skull — Broad  between  the  ears,  getting  gradually  less 
towards  the  eyes,  and  measuring  about  the  same  from  the  inner  corner 
of  the  eyes  to  back  of  skull  as  it  does  from  ear  to  ear.  The  forehead 
well  domed.  The  head  is  covered  with  very  soft  silky  hair,  which  should 
not  be  confined  to  a  mere  topknot,  and  the  lighter  in  colour  and  silkier 
it  is  the  better.  The  cheeks,  starting  from  the  ears  proportionately 
with  the  skull,  have  a  gradual  taper  towards  the  muzzle,  which  is  deep 
and  strongly  made,  and  measures  about  three  inches  in  length,  or  in 
proportion  to  skull  as  three  is  to  five.  The  muzzle  is  covered  with  hair 
of  a  little  darker  shade  than  the  topknot,  and  of  the  same  texture 
as  the  feather  of  the  fore-legs.  The  top  of  the  muzzle  is  generally 
bare  for  about  an  inch  from  the  black  part  of  the  nose,  the  bareness 
coming  to  a  point  towards  the  eye,  and  being  about  one  inch  broad  at 
the  nose.  The  nose  and  inside  of  mouth  black  or  dark  coloured.  The 
teeth  very  strong,  especially  the  canine,  which  are  of  extraordinary 
size  for  such  a  small  dog.  The  canines  fit  well  into  each  other,  so  as  to 
give  the  greatest  available  holding  and  punishing  power,  and  the  teeth 
are  level  in  front,  the  upper  ones  very  slightly  overlapping  the  under 
ones.  (Many  of  the  finest  specimens  have  a  "swine  mouth,"  which  is 
very  objectionable,  but  it  is  not  so  great  an  objection  as  the  protrusion 
of  the  under  jaw.)  Eyes — Set  wide  apart,  large,  full,  round,  bright, 
expressive  of  great  determination,  intelligence  and  dignity  ;  set  low 
and  prominent  in  front  of  the  head  ;  colour  a  rich  dark  hazel.  Ears — 
Pendulous,  set  well  back,  wide  apart  and  low  on  the  skull,  hanging  close 
to  the  cheek,  with  a  very  slight  projection  at  the  base,  broad  at  the 
junction  of  the  head  and  tapering  almost  to  a  point,  the  fore  part  of  the 
ear  tapering  very  little,  the  tapering  being  mostly  on  the  back  part, 
the  fore  part  of  the  ear  coming  almost  straight  down  from  its  junction 
with  the  head  to  the  tip.  They  should  harmonise  in  colour  with  the 
body  colour.  In  the  case  of  a  pepper  dog  they  are  covered  with  a  soft, 
straight,  brownish  hair  (in  some  cases  almost  black).  In  the  case  of 
a  mustard  dog  the  hair  should  be  mustard  in  colour,  a  shade  darker 
than  the  body,  but  not  black.  All  should  have  a  thin  feather  of  light 
hair  starting  about  two  inches  from  the  tip,  and  of  nearly  the  same 
colour  and  texture  as  the  topknot,  which  gives  the  ear  the  appearance 
of  a  distinct  point.  The  animal  is  often  one  or  two  years  old  before  the 
feather  is  shown.  The  cartilage  and  skin  of  the  ear  should  not  be  thick, 
but  rather  thin.  Length  of  ear,  from  three  to  four  inches.  Neck — 
Very  muscular,  well  developed,  and  strong ;  showing  great  power 
of  resistance,  being  well  set  into  the  shoulders.  Body — Long,  strong, 
and  flexible  ;  ribs  well  sprung  and  round,  chest  well  developed  and 
let  well  down  between  the  fore-legs ;  the  back  rather  low  at  the  shoulder, 
having  a  slight  downward  curve  and  a  corresponding  arch  over  the 


256        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

loins,  with  a  very  slight  gradual  drop  from  top  of  loins  to  root  of  tail ; 
both  sides  of  backbone  well  supplied  with  muscle.  Tail — Rather  short, 
say  from  eight  inches  to  ten  inches,  and  covered  on  the  upper  side  with 
wiry  hair  of  darker  colour  than  that  of  the  body,  the  hair  on  the  under 
side  being  lighter  in  colour,  and  not  so  wiry,  with  a  nice  feather,  about 
two  inches  long,  getting  shorter  as  it  nears  the  tip  ;  rather  thick  at  the 
root,  getting  thicker  for  about  four  inches,  then  tapering  off  to  a  point. 
It  should  not  be  twisted  or  curled  in  any  way,  but  should  come  up 
with  a  curve  like  a  scimitar,  the  Up,  when  excited,  being  in  a  per- 
pendicular line  with  the  root  of  the  tail.  It  should  neither  be  set  on 
too  high  nor  too  low.  When  not  excited  it  is  carried  gaily,  and  a  little 
above  the  level  of  the  body.  Legs — The  fore-legs  short,  with  immense 
muscular  development  and  bone,  set  wide  apart,  the  chest  coming  well 
down  between  them.  The  feet  well  formed,  and  not  //a/,  with  very 
strong  brown  or  dark-coloured  claws.  Bandy  legs  and  flat  feet  are 
objectionable.  The  hair  on  the  fore-legs  and  feet  of  a  pepper  dog 
should  be  tan,  varying  according  to  the  body  colour  from  a  rich  tan 
to  a  pale  fawn  ;  of  a  mustard  dog  they  are  of  a  darker  shade  than  its 
head,  which  is  a  creamy  white.  In  both  colours  there  is  a  nice  feather, 
about  two  inches  long,  rather  lighter  in  colour  than  the  hair  on  the 
fore-part  of  the  leg.  The  hind-legs  are  a  little  longer  than  the  fore  ones, 
and  are  set  rather  wide  apart,  but  not  spread  out  in  an  unnatural 
manner,  while  the  feet  are  much  smaller,  the  thighs  are  well  developed, 
and  the  hair  of  the  same  colour  and  texture  as  the  fore  ones,  but  having 
no  feather  or  dew  claws  ;  the  whole  claws  should  be  dark  ;  but  the 
claws  of  all  vary  in  shade  according  to  the  colour  of  the  dog's  body. 
Coat — This  is  a  very  important  point ;  the  hair  should  be  about  two 
inches  long  ;  that  from  skull  to  root  of  tail  a  mixture  of  hardish  and  soft 
hair,  which  gives  a  sort  of  crisp  feel  to  the  hand.  The  hair  should  not 
be  wiry  ;  the  coat  is  termed  pily  or  pencilled.  The  hair  on  the  under 
part  of  the  body  is  lighter  in  colour  and  softer  than  that  on  the  top. 
The  skin  on  the  belly  accords  with  the  colour  of  dog.  Colour — The 
colour  is  pepper  or  mustard.  The  pepper  ranges  from  a  dark  bluish 
black  to  a  light  silver  grey,  the  intermediate  shades  being  preferred, 
the  body  colour  coming  well  down  the  shoulder  and  hips,  gradually 
merging  into  the  leg  colour.  The  mustards  vary  from  a  reddish  brown 
to  a  pale  fawn,  the  head  being  a  creamy  white,  the  legs  and  feet  of  a 
shade  darker  than  the  head.  The  claws  are  dark  as  in  other  colours. 
(Nearly  all  Dandie  Dinmonts  have  some  white  on  the  chest,  and  some 
have  also  white  claws.)  Size — The  height  should  be  from  8  to  11  inches 
at  the  top  of  shoulder.  Length  from  top  of  shoulder  to  root  of  tail 
should  not  be  more  than  twice  the  dog's  height,  but,  preferably,  one  or 
two  inches  less.  Weight— From  14  Ib.  to  24  Ib.  the  best  weight  as 
near  18  Ib.  as  possible.  These  weights  are  for  dogs  in  good  working 
order. 

In  the  above  standard  of  points  we  have  a  very  full  and 
detailed  account  of  what  a  Dandie  should  be  like,  and  if  only 
judges  at  shows  would  bear  them  in  mind  a  little  more,  we 
should  have  fewer  conflicting  decisions  given,  and  Dandie 


THE  DANDIE  DINMONT  257 

fanciers  and  the  public  generally  would  not  from  time  to  time 
be  set  wondering  as  to  what  is  the  correct  type  of  the  breed. 

A  Dandie  makes  an  excellent  house  guard  ;  for  such  a 
small  dog  he  has  an  amazingly  deep,  loud  bark,  so  that  the 
stranger,  who  has  heard  him  barking  on  the  far  side  of  the 
door,  is  quite  astonished  when  he  sees  the  small  owner  of  the 
big  voice.  When  kept  as  a  companion  he  becomes  a  most 
devoted  and  affectionate  little  friend,  and  is  very  intelligent. 
As  a  dog  to  be  kept  in  kennels  there  is  certainly  one  great 
drawback  where  large  kennels  are  desired,  and  that  is  the  risk 
of  keeping  two  or  more  dogs  in  one  kennel ;  sooner  or  later 
there  is  sure  to  be  a  fight,  and  when  Dandies  fight  it  is  generally 
a  very  serious  matter  ;  if  no  one  is  present  to  separate  them, 
one  or  both  of  the  combatants  is  pretty  certain  to  be  killed. 
But  when  out  walking  the  Dandie  is  no  more  quarrelsome  than 
other  breeds  of  terriers,  if  properly  trained  from  puppyhood. 

There  is  one  little  matter  in  breeding  Dandies  that  is  gener- 
ally a  surprise  to  the  novice,  and  that  is  the  very  great  differ- 
ence in  the  appearance  of  the  young  pups  and  the  adult  dog. 
The  pups  are  born  quite  smooth-haired,  the  peppers  are  black 
and  tan  in  colour,  and  the  mustards  have  a  great  deal  of  black 
in  their  colouring.  The  topknot  begins  to  appear  sometimes 
when  the  dog  is  a  few  months  old,  and  sometimes  not  till  he  is 
a  year  or  so  old.  It  is  generally  best  to  mate  a  mustard 
to  a  pepper,  to  prevent  the  mustards  becoming  too  light  in 
colour,  though  two  rich-coloured  mustards  may  be  mated 
together  with  good  results.  It  is  a  rather  curious  fact  that 
when  two  mustards  are  mated  some  of  the  progeny  are  usually 
pepper  in  colour,  though  when  two  peppers  are  mated  there  are 
very  seldom  any  mustard  puppies. 

The  popularity  of  the  Dandie  has  now  lasted  for  nearly  a 
hundred  years,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  last  for 
another  century,  if  breeders  will  only  steer  clear  of  the  exaggera- 
tion of  show  points,  and  continue  to  breed  a  sound,  active,  and 
hardy  terrier. 


CHAPTER    XLI 
THE    SKYE,   AND  CLYDESDALE   TERRIERS 

THAT  the  Skye  Terrier  should  be  called  "  the  Heavenly 
Breed  "  is  a  tribute  to  the  favour  in  which  he  is  held  by  his 
admirers.  Certainly  when  he  is  seen  in  perfection  he  is  an 
exceedingly  beautiful  dog.  As  certainly  there  is  no  breed 
more  affectionate,  more  faithful,  or  more  lovable.  Among  his 
characteristics  are  a  long-enduring  patience,  a  prompt  obedi- 
ence, and  a  deep-hearted  tenderness,  combined  with  fearless 
courage.  He  is  more  sensitive  to  rebuke  and  punishment 
than  most  dogs,  and  will  nurse  resentment  to  those  who  are 
unjust  to  him  ;  not  viciously,  but  with  an  almost  human 
plaintiveness  which  demands  an  immediate  reconciliation. 
He  is  staunch  and  firm  as  his  native  hills  to  those  who  are  kind 
to  him,  and  for  entering  into  battle  with  an  enemy  there  is  no 
dog  more  recklessly  daring  and  resolute. 

Visitors  to  dog  shows  are  disposed  to  believe  that  the  Skye 
Terrier,  with  its  well-groomed  coat  that  falls  in  smooth  cas- 
cades down  its  sides,  and  its  veil  of  thick  hair  that  obscures 
the  tender  softness  of  its  dark  and  thoughtful  eyes,  is  meant 
only  to  look  beautiful  upon  the  bench  or  to  recline  in  com- 
fortable indolence  on  silken  cushions.  This  is  a  mistake. 
See  a  team  of  Skyes  racing  up  a  hillside  after  a  fugitive  rabbit, 
tirelessly  burrowing  after  a  rat,  or  displaying  their  terrier 
strategy  around  a  fox's  earth  or  an  otter's  holt,  and  you  will 
admit  that  they  are  meant  for  sport,  and  are  demons  at  it. 
Even  their  peculiarity  of  build  is  a  proof  that  they  are  born 
to  follow  vermin  underground.  They  are  long  of  body,  with 
short,  strong  legs,  adapted  for  burrowing.  With  the  Dach- 

358 


THE  SKYE  TERRIER  259 

shund  they  approximate  more  closely  than  any  other  breeds 
to  the  shape  of  the  badger,  the  weasel,  and  the  otter,  and  so 
many  animals  which  Nature  has  made  long  and  low  in  order 
that  they  may  inhabit  earths  and  insinuate  themselves  into 
narrow  passages  in  the  moorland  cairns. 

There  can  be  no  question  that  these  dogs,  which  are  so 
typically  Highland  in  character  and  appearance,  as  well  as 
the  Clydesdale,  the  Scottish,  the  Dandie  Dinmont,  and  the 
White  Poltalloch  terriers,  are  all  the  descendants  of  a  purely 
native  Scottish  original.  They  are  all  inter-related  ;  but 
which  was  the  parent  breed  it  is  impossible  to  determine. 

It  is  even  difficult  to  discover  which  of  the  two  distinct 
types  of  the  Skye  Terrier  was  the  earlier — the  variety  whose 
ears  stand  alertly  erect  or  its  near  relative  whose  ears  are 
pendulous.  Perhaps  it  does  not  matter.  The  differences  be- 
tween the  prick-eared  Skye  and  the  drop-eared  are  so  slight, 
and  the  characteristics  which  they  have  in  common  are  so 
many,  that  a  dual  classification  was  hardly  necessary.  The 
earliest  descriptions  and  engravings  of  the  breed  present 
a  terrier  considerably  smaller  than  the  type  of  to-day,  carrying 
a  fairly  profuse,  hard  coat,  with  short  legs,  a  body  long  in 
proportion  to  its  height,  and  with  ears  that  were  neither  erect 
nor  drooping,  but  semi-erect  and  capable  of  being  raised  to 
alertness  in  excitement.  It  is  the  case  that  drop-eared  puppies 
often  occur  in  the  litters  of  prick-eared  parents,  and  vice 
versa.  -> 

As  its  name  implies,  this  terrier  had  its  early  home  in  the 
misty  island  of  Skye  ;  which  is  not  to  say  that  it  was  not  also 
to  be  found  in  Lewis,  Oronsay,  Colonsay  and  others  of  the 
Hebrides,  as  well  "as  on  the  mainland  of  Scotland.  Dr.  John- 
son, who  visited  these  islands  with  Boswell  in  1773,  noticed 
these  terriers  and  observed  that  otters  and  weasels  were  plenti- 
ful in  Skye,  that  the  foxes  were  numerous,  and^that  they 
were  hunted  by  small  dogs.  He  was  so  accurate  an  observer 
that  one  regrets  he  did  not  describe  the  Macleod's  terriers  and 
their  work.  They  were  at  that  time  of  many  colours,  varying 


260        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

from  pure  white  to  fawn  and  brown,  blue-grey  and  black. 
The  lighter  coloured  ones  had  black  muzzles,  ears,  and  tails. 
Their  tails  were  carried  more  gaily  than  would  be  permitted 
by  a  modern  judge  of  the  breed. 

In  those  days  the  Highlander  cared  less  for  the  appearance 
than  he  did  for  the  sporting  proclivities  of  his  dogs,  whose 
business  it  was  to  oust  the  tod  from  the  earth  in  which  it 
had  taken  refuge  ;  and  for  this  purpose  certain  qualities  were 
imperative.  First  and  foremost  the  terrier  needed  to  be 
small,  short  of  leg,  long  and  lithe  in  body,  with  ample  face 
fringe  to  protect  his  eyes  from  injury,  and  possessed  of 
unlimited  pluck  and  dash. 

The  Skye  Terrier  of  to-day  does  not  answer  to  each  and 
every  one  of  these  requirements.  He  is  too  big — decidedly  he 
is  too  big — especially  in  regard  to  the  head.  A  noble-looking 
skull,  with  large,  well-feathered  ears  may  be  admirable  as 
ornament,  but  would  assuredly  debar  its  possessor  from  follow- 
ing into  a  fox's  lair  among  the  boulders.  Then,  again,  his 
long  coat  would  militate  against  the  activity  necessary  for 
his  legitimate  calling. 

It  was  not  until  about  1860  that  the  Skye  Terrier  attracted 
much  notice  among  dog  lovers  south  of  the  Border,  but  Queen 
Victoria's  admiration  of  the  breed,  of  which  from  1842  on- 
wards she  always  owned  favourite  specimens,  and  Sir  Edwin 
Landseer's  paintings  in  which  the  Skye  was  introduced,  had 
already  drawn  public  attention  to  the  decorative  and  useful 
qualities  of  this  terrier.  The  breed  was  included  in  the 
first  volume  of  the  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book,  and  the  best  among 
the  early  dogs  were  such  as  Mr.  Pratt 's  Gillie  and  Dun  vegan, 
Mr.  D.  W.  Fyfe's  Novelty,  Mr.  John  Bowman's  Dandie,  and 
Mr.  Macdona's  Rook.  These  were  mostly  of  the  drop-eared 
variety,  and  were  bred  small. 

About  the  year  1874,  fierce  and  stormy  disputes  arose 
concerning  the  distinctions  of  the  Scottish  breeds  of  terriers. 
The  controversy  was  continued  until  1879,  when  the  Kennel 
Club  was  approached  with  the  view  to  furnishing  classes. 


THE  SKYE  TERRIER  261 

The  controversy  was  centred  upon  three  types  of  Scottish 
terriers  :  those  which  claimed  to  be  pure  Skye  Terriers,  a  dog 
described  briefly  as  Scotch,  and  a  third,  which  for  a  time  was 
miscalled  the  Aberdeen.  To  those  who  had  studied  the 
varieties,  the  distinctions  were  clear  ;  but  the  question  at 
issue  was — to  which  of  the  three  rightly  belonged  the  title 
of  Scottish  Terrier  ?  The  dog  which  the  Scots  enthusiasts 
were  trying  to  get  established  under  this  classification  was 
the  Cairn  Terrier  of  the  Highlands,  known  in  some  localities 
as  the  short-coated,  working  Skye,  and  in  others  as  the  Fox- 
terrier,  or  Tod-hunter.  A  sub-division  of  this  breed  was  the 
more  leggy  "  Aberdeen  "  variety. 

The  present-day  Skye  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  terriers  in  existence.  He  is  a  dog  of  medium  size, 
with  a  weight  not  exceeding  25  lb.,  and  not  less  than  18  Ib. 
he  is  long  in  proportion  to  his  height,  with  a  very  level  back,  a 
powerful  jaw  with  perfectly  fitting  teeth,  a  small  hazel  eye, 
and  a  long  hard  coat  just  reaching  the  ground.  In  the  prick- 
eared  variety  the  ears  are  carried  erect,  with  very  fine  ear 
feathering,  and  the  face  fringe  is  long  and  thick.  The  ear 
feathering  and  face  fall  are  finer  in  quality  than  the  coat,  which 
is  exceedingly  hard  and  weather-resisting.  And  here  it  is 
well  to  point  out  that  the  Skye  has  two  distinct  coats :  the 
under  coat,  somewhat  soft  and  woolly,  and  the  upper,  hard  and 
rain-proof.  This  upper  coat  should  be  as  straight  as  possible, 
without  any  tendency  to  wave  or  curl.  The  tail  is  not  very 
long,  and  should  be  nicely  feathered,  and  in  repose  never 
raised  above  the  level  of  the  back. 

The  same  description  applies  to  the  drop-eared  type,  except 
that  the  ears  in  repose,  instead  of  being  carried  erect,  fall 
evenly  on  each  side  of  the  head.  When,  however,  the  dog  is 
excited,  the  ears  are  pricked  forward,  in  exactly  the  same 
fashion  as  those  of  the  Airedale  Terrier.  This  is  an  important 
point,  a  houndy  carriage  of  ear  being  a  decided  defect.  The 
drop-eared  variety  is  usually  the  heavier  and  larger  dog  of  the 
two  ;  and  for  some  reason  does  not  show  the  quality  and  breed- 


262        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

ing  of  its  neighbour.  Lately,  however,  there  has  evidently 
been  an  effort  made  to  improve  the  drop-eared  type,  with  the 
result  that  some  very  excellent  dogs  have  recently  appeared 
at,  the  important  shows. 

Probably  Mr.  James  Pratt  has  devoted  more  time  and 
attention  to  the  Skye  Terrier  than  any  other  now  living  fancier, 
though  the  names  of  Mr.  Kidd  and  Mr.  Todd  are  usually  well 
known.  Mr.  Pratt's  Skyes  were  allied  to  the  type  of  terrier 
claiming  to  be  the  original  Skye  of  the  Highlands.  The  head 
was  not  so  large,  the  ears  also  were  not  so  heavily  feathered, 
as  is  the  case  in  the  Skye  of  to-day,  and  the  colours  were 'very 
varied,  ranging  from  every  tint  between  black  and  white. 

In  1892  a  great  impetus  was  given  to  the  breed  by  Mrs. 
Hughes,  whose  kennels  at  Wolverley  were  of  overwhelmingly 
good  quality.  Mrs.  Hughes  was  quickly  followed  by  such 
ardent  and  successful  fanciers  as  Sir  Claud  and  Lady  Alex- 
ander, of  Ballochmyle,  Mrs.  Freeman,  Miss  Bowyer  Smyth,  and 
Miss  McCheane.  Lately  other  prominent  exhibitors  have 
forced  their  way  into  the  front  rank,  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned  the  Countess  of  Aberdeen,  Mrs.  Hugh  Ripley, 
Mrs.  Wilmer,  Miss  Whishaw,  and  Mrs.  Sandwith.  Mrs.  Hughes' 
Wolverley  Duchess  and  Wolverley  Jock  were  excellent  types 
of  what  a  prick-eared  Skye  should  be.  Excellent,  too,  were 
Mrs.  Freeman's  Alister,  and  Sir  Claud  Alexander's  Young 
Rosebery,  Olden  Times,  Abbess,  and  Wee  Mac  of  Adel, 
Mrs.  Wilmer's  Jean,  and  Mr.  Millar's  Prince  Donard.  But 
the  superlative  Skye  of  the  period,  and  probably  the  best 
ever  bred,  is  Wolverley  Chummie,  the  winner  of  thirty 
championships  which  are  but  the  public  acknowledgment  of 
his  perfections.  He  is  the  property  of  Miss  McCheane,  who  is 
also  the  owner  of  an  almost  equally  good  specimen  of  the 
other  sex  in  Fair  field  Diamond.  Among  the  drop-eared 
Skyes  of  present  celebrity  may  be  mentioned  Mrs.  Hugh 
Ripley's  Perfection,  Miss  Whishaw's  Piper  Grey,  and  Lady 
Aberdeen's  Cromar  Kelpie. 

There  are  two  clubs  in  England  and  one  in  Scotland  instituted 


THE  SKYE  TERRIER  263 

to  protect  the  interests  of  this  breed,  namely,  the  Skye  Terrier 
Club  of  England,  the  Skye  and  Clydesdale  Club,  and  the  Skye 
Terrier  Club  of  Scotland.  The  Scottish  Club's  description  Ts 
as  follows  : — 

Head — Long,  with  powerful  jaws  and  incisive  teeth  closing  level, 
or  upper  just  fitting  over  under.  Skull :  wide  at  front  of  brow,  narrow- 
ing between  the  ears,  and  tapering  gradually  towards  the  muzzle,  with 
little  falling  in  between  or  behind  the  eyes.  Eyes  :  hazel,  medium 
size,  close  set.  Muzzle  :  always  black.  Ears  (Prick  or  Pendant) — 
When  prick,  not  large,  erect  at  outer  edges,  and  slanting  towards  each 
other  at  inner,  from  peak  to  skull.  When  pendant,  larger,  hanging 
straight,  lying  flat,  and  close  at  front.  Body — Pre-eminently  long  and 
low.'  Shoulders  broad,  chest  deep,  ribs  well  sprung  and  oval  shaped, 
giving  a  flattish  appearance  to  the  sides.  Hind-quarters  and  flank 
full  and  well  developed.  Back  level  and  slightly  declining  from  the 
top  of  the  hip  joint  to  the  shoulders.  The  neck  long  and  gently  crested. 
Tall — When  hanging,  the  upper  half  perpendicular,  the  under  half 
thrown  backward  in  a  curve.  When  raised,  a  prolongation  of  the 
incline  of  the  back,  and  not  rising  higher  nor  curling  up.  Legs — Short, 
straight,  and  muscular.  No  dew  claws,  the  feet  large  and  pointing 
forward.  Coat  (Double) — An  under,  short,  close,  soft,  and  woolly. 
An  over,  long,  averaging  5$  inches,  hard,  straight,  flat,  and  free  from 
crimp  or  curl.  Hair  on  head,  shorter,  softer,  and  veiling  the  forehead 
and  eyes  ;  on  the  ears,  overhanging  inside,  falling  down  and  mingling 
with  the  side  locks,  not  heavily,  but  surrounding  the  ear  like  a  fringe, 
and  allowing  its  shape  to  appear.  Tail  also  gracefully  feathered. 
Colour  (any  variety) — Dark  or  light  blue  or  grey,  or  fawn  with  black 
points.  Shade  of  head  and  legs  approximating  that  of  body. 

1.  AVERAGE    MEASUREMENTS :     Dog— Height    at    shoulder,    9 
inches.     Length,  back  of  skull  to  root   of  tail,  22$  inches  ;    muzzle 
to  back  of  skull,  8$  inches  ;   root  of  tail  to  tip  joint,  9  inches.     Total 
length,  40  inches.     Bitch — Half  an  inch  lower,  and  2$  inches  shorter 
than  dog,  all  points  proportional  ;    thus,  body,  21  inches  ;    head,  8 
inches  ;  and  tail,  8$  inches.     Total,  37$  inches. 

2.  AVERAGE  WEIGHT  :   Dog— 18  Ib. ;  bitch,  16  Ib.     No  dog  should 
be  over  20  Ib.,  nor  under  16  Ib.  ;  and  no  bitch  should  be  over  18  Ib.,  nor 
under  14  Ib. 

Whereas  the  Scottish  Club  limits  the  approved  length  of 
coat  to  5|  inches,  the  English  Club  gives  a  maximum  of  9 
inches.  This  is  a  fairly  good  allowance,  but  many  of  the 
breed  carry  a  much  longer  coat  than  this.  It  is  not  uncommon, 
indeed,  to  find  a  Skye  with  a  covering  of  12  inches  in  length, 
which,  even  allowing  for  the  round  of  the  body,  causes  the 
hair  to  reach  and  often  to  trail  upon  the  ground. 


264        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  Clydesdale  may  be  described  as  an  anomaly.  He  stands 
as  it  were  upon  a  pedestal  of  his  own  ;  and  unlike  other 
Scotch  terriers  he  is  classified  as  non-sporting.  Perhaps  his 
marvellously  fine  and  silky  coat  precludes  him  from  the  rough 
work  of  hunting  after  vermin,  though  it  is  certain  his  game- 
like  instincts  would  naturally  lead  him  to  do  so.  Of  all  the 
Scottish  dogs  he  is  perhaps  the  smallest ;  his  weight  seldom 
exceeding  18  Ib.  He  is  thus  described  by  the  Skye  Terrier 
Club  of  Scotland  :— 

General  Appearance — A  long,  low,  level  dog,  with  heavily  fringed 
erect  ears,  and  a  long  coat  like  the  finest  silk  or  spun  glass,  which  hangs 
quite  straight  and  evenly  down  each  side,  from  a  parting  extending 
from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail.  Head — Fairly  long,  skull  flat 
and  very  narrow  between  the  ears,  gradually  widening  towards  the  eyes 
and  tapering  very  slightly  to  the  nose,  which  must  be  black.  The  jaws 
strong  and  the  teeth  level.  Eyes — Medium  in  size,  dark  in  colour,  not 
prominent,  but  having  a  sharp,  terrier-like  expression,  eyelids  black. 
Ears — Small,  set  very  high  on  the  top  of  the  head,  carried  perfectly 
erect,  and  covered  with  long  silky  hah*,  hanging  in  a  heavy  fringe  down 
the  sides  of  the  head.  Body — Long,  deep  in  chest,  well  ribbed  up,  the 
back  being  perfectly  level.  Tall — Perfectly  straight,  carried  almost 
level  with  the  back,  and  heavily  feathered.  Legs — As  short  and 
straight  as  possible,  well  set  under  the  body,  and  entirely  covered  with 
silky  hair.  Feet  round  and  cat-like.  Coat — As  long  and  straight  as 
possible,  free  from  all  trace  of  curl  or  waviness,  very  glossy  and  silky 
in  texture,  with  an  entire  absence  of  undercoat.  Colour — A  level, 
bright  steel  blue,  extending  from  the  back  of  the  head  to  the  root  of  the 
tail,  and  on  no  account  intermingled  with  any  fawn,  light  or  dark  hairs. 
The  head,  legs,  and  feet  should  be  a  clear,  bright,  golden  tan,  free  from 
grey,  sooty,  or  dark  hairs.  The  tail  should  be  very  dark  blue  or  black. 

The  Clydesdale  Terrier  is  rare,  at  any  rate  as  regards  the 
show  bench  ;  there  are  never  more  than  two  or  three  at  most 
exhibited  south  of  the  Tweed,  even  when  classes  are  provided 
at  the  big  shows  and  championships  offered,  thus  indicating 
that  the  breed  is  not  a  popular  one  ;  and  amongst  those 
kennels  who  do  show  there  exists  at  the  present  time  but  one 
dog  who  can  lay  claim  to  the  title  of  champion  ;  this  unique 
specimen  is  the  property  of  Sir  Claud  Alexander,  Bart.,  of 
Ballochmyle,  and  is  known  under  the  name  of  Wee  Wattie. 
There  are  of  course  several  fanciers  in  Scotland,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  Mr.  G.  Shaw,  of  Glasgow,  who  is  the  owner 


THE  CLYDESDALE  TERRIER  265 

of  several  fine  examples  of  the  breed,  including  beautiful  San 
Toy  and  the  equally  beautiful  Mozart. 

As  with  the  Skye  Terrier,  it  seems  a  matter  of  difficulty 
to  produce  a  perfect  Clydesdale,  and  until  the  breed  is  taken 
up  with  more  energy  it  is  improbable  that  first  class  dogs  will 
make  an  appearance  in  the  show  ring.  A  perfect  Clydesdale 
should  figure  as  one  of  the  most  elegant  of  the  terrier  breed  ; 
his  lovely  silken  coat,  the  golden  brown  hue  of  his  face  fringe, 
paws  and  legs,  his  well  pricked  and  feathery  ear,  and  his 
generally  smart  appearance  should  combine  to  form  a  picture 
exciting  general  admiration. 


CHAPTER   XLII 
THE   YORKSHIRE   TERRIER 

THE  most  devout  lover  of  this  charming  and  beautiful  terrier 
would  fail  if  he  were  to  attempt  to  claim  for  him  the  distinction 
of_  descent  from  antiquity.  Bradford,  and  not  Babylon, 
was  his  earliest  home,  and  he  must  be  candidly  acknowledged 
to  be  a  very  modern  manufactured  variety  of  the  dog.  Yet 
it  is  important  to  remember  that  it  was  in  Yorkshire  that 
he  was  made — Yorkshire,  where  live  the  cleverest  breeders 
of  dogs  that  the  world  has  known. 

One  can  roughly  reconstitute  the  process.  What  the 
Yorkshiremen  desired  to  make  for  themselves  was  a  pigmy, 
prick-eared  terrier  with  a  long,  silky,  silvery  grey  and  tan 
coat.  They  already  possessed  the  foundation  in  the  old 
English  Black  and  Tan  wire-haired  Terrier.  To  lengthen  the 
coat  of  this  working  breed  they  might  very  well  have  had 
recourse  to  a  cross  with  the  prick-eared  Skye,  and  to 
eliminate  the  wiry  texture  of  the  hair  a  further  cross 
with  the  Maltese  dog  would  impart  softness  and  silkiness 
without  reducing  the  length.  Again,  a  cross  with  the  Clydes- 
dale, which  was  then  assuming  a  fixed  type,  would  bring  the 
variety  yet  nearer  to  the  ideal,  and  a  return  to  the  black  and 
tan  would  tend  to  conserve  the  desired  colour.  In  all  pro- 
bability the  Dandie  Dinmont  had  some  share  in  the  process. 
Evidence  of  origin  is  often  to  be  found  more  distinctly  in 
puppies  than  in  the  mature  dog,  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that 
the'puppies  of  both  the  Dandie  and  the  Yorkshire  are  born  with 
decided  black  and  tan  colouring. 

The  original  broken-haired  Yorkshire  Terrier  of  thirty  years 

266 


THE  YORKSHIRE  TERRIER  267 

ago  waso  ften  called  a  Scottish  Terrier,  or  even  a  Skye,  and 
there  are  many  persons  who  still  confound  him  with  the 
Clydesdale,  whom  he  somewhat  closely  resembles.  At  the 
present  time  he  is  classified  as  a  toy  dog  and  exhibited  almost 
solely  as  such.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  until  very  lately 
the  terrier  character  was  being  gradually  bred  out  of  him, 
and  that  the  perkiness,  the  exuberance  and  gameness  which 
once  distinguished  him  as  the  companion  of  the  Yorkshire 
operative,  was  in  danger  of  being  sacrificed  to  the  desire  for 
diminutive  size  and  inordinate  length  of  coat. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  an  error  to  blame  the  breeders  of 
Yorkshire  Terriers  for  this  departure  from  the  original  type  as  it 
appeared,  say,  about  1870.  It  is  necessary  to  take  into 
consideration  the  probability  that  what  is  now  called  the  old- 
fashioned  working  variety  was  never  regarded  by  the  Yorkshire- 
men  who  made  him  as  a  complete  and  finished  achievement. 
It  was  possibly  their  idea  at  the  very  beginning  to  produce 
just  such  a  diminutive  dog  as  is  now  to  be  seen  in  its  perfec- 
tion at  exhibitions,  glorying  in  its  flowing  tresses  of  steel 
blue  silk  and  ruddy  gold  ;  and  one  must  give  them  full  credit 
for  the  patience  and  care  with  which  during  the  past  forty 
years  they  have  been  steadily  working  to  the  fixed  design  of 
producing  a  dwarfed  breed  which  should  excel  all  other  breeds 
in  the  length  and  silkiness  of  its  robe.  The  extreme  of  culti- 
vation in  this  particular  quality  was  reached  some  years 
ago  by  Mrs.  Troughear,  whose  little  dog  Conqueror,  weighing 
5 1  lb.,  had  a  beautiful  enveloping  mantle  of  the  uniform  length 
of  four-and-twenty  inches. 

Doubtless  all  successful  breeders  and  exhibitors  of  the 
Yorkshire  Terrier  have  their  little  secrets  and  their  peculiar 
methods  of  inducing  the  growth  of  hair.  They  regulate  the 
diet  with  extreme  particularity,  keeping  the  dog  lean  rather 
than  fat,  and  giving  him  nothing  that  they  would  not  them- 
selves eat.  Bread,  mixed  with  green  vegetables,  a  little  meat 
and  gravy,  or  fresh  fish,  varied  with  milk  puddings  and 
Spratt's  "  Toy  Pet  "  biscuits,  should  be  the  staple  food. 


268        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Bones  ought  not  to  be  given,  as  the  act  of  gnawing  them  is 
apt  to  mar  the  beard  and  moustache.  For  the  same  reason 
it  is  well  when  possible  to  serve  the  food  from  the  fingers. 
But  many  owners  use  a  sort  of  mask  or  hood  of  elastic  material 
which  they  tie  over  the  dog's  head  at  meal-times  to  hold  back 
the  long  face-fall  and  whiskers,  that  would  otherwise  be  smeared 
and  sullied.  Similarly  as  a  protection  for  the  coat,  when 
there  is  any  skin  irritation  and  an  inclination  to  scratch,  linen 
or  cotton  stockings  are  worn  upon  the  hind  feet. 

Many  exhibitors  pretend  that  they  use  no  dressing,  or  very 
little,  and  this  only  occasionally,  for  the  jackets  of  their 
Yorkshire  Terriers ;  but  it  is  quite  certain  that  continuous 
use  of  grease  of  some  sort  is  not  only  advisable  but  even  necess- 
ary. Opinions  differ  as  to  which  is  the  best  cosmetic,  but 
Hairmero,  the  dressing  prepared  for  the  purpose  by  Miss 
D.  Wilmer,  of  Yoxford,  Suffolk,  could  not  easily  be  improved 
upon  for  this  or  any  other  long-coated  breed. 

For  the  full  display  of  their  beauty,  Yorkshire  Terriers 
depend  very  much  upon  careful  grooming.  It  is  only  by 
grooming  that  the  silvery  cascade  of  hair  down  the  dog's 
sides  and  the  beautiful  tan  face-fall  that  flows  like  a  rain  of 
gold  from  his  head  can  be  kept  perfectly  straight  and  free 
from  curl  or  wrinkle  ;  and  no  grease  or  pomade,  even  if  their 
use  were  officially  permitted,  could  impart  to  the  coat  the 
glistening  sheen  that  is  given  by  the  dexterous  application  of 
the  brush.  The  gentle  art  of  grooming  is  not  to  be  taught 
by  theory.  Practice  is  the  best  teacher.  But  the  novice 
may  learn  much  by  observing  the  deft  methods  employed 
by  an  expert  exhibitor. 

Mr.  Peter  Eden,  of  Manchester,  is  generally  credited  with 
being  the  actual  inventor  of  the  Yorkshire  Terrier.  He 
was  certainly  one  of  the  earliest  breeders  and  owners,  and  his 
celebrated  Albert  was  only  one  of  the  many  admirable  speci- 
mens with  which  he  convinced  the  public  of  the  charms  of  this 
variety  of  dog.  He  may  have  given  the  breed  its  first  im- 
pulse, but  Mrs.  M.  A.  Foster,  of  Bradford,  was  for  many  years 


THE  YORKSHIRE  TERRIER  269 

the  head  and  centre  of  all  that  pertained  to  the  Yorkshire 
Terrier,  and  it  was  undoubtedly  she  who  raised  the  variety  to 
its  highest  point  of  perfection.  Her  dogs  were  invariably  good  in 
type.  She  never  exhibited  a  bad  one,  and  her  Huddersfield  Ben, 
Toy  Smart,  Bright,  Sandy,  Ted,  Bradford  Hero,  Bradford 
Marie,  and  Bradford  Queen — the  last  being  a  bitch  weighing 
only  24  oz. — are  remembered  for  their  uniform  excellence. 
Of  more  recent  examples  that  have  approached  perfection 
may  be  mentioned  Mrs.  Walton's  Ashton  King,  Queen,  and 
Bright,  and  her  Mont  Thabor  Duchess.  Mr.  Mitchell's 
Westbrook  Fred  has  deservedly  won  many  honours,  and  Mr. 
Firmstone's  Grand  Duke  and  Mynd  Damaris,  and  Mrs.  Sin- 
clair's Mascus  Superbus,  stand  high  in  the  estimation  of  expert 
judges  of  the  breed.  Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  bitch  ever 
shown  was  Waveless,  the  property  of  Mrs.  R.  Marshall,  the 
owner  of  another  admirable  bitch  in  Little  Picture.  Mrs.  W. 
Shaw's  Ch.  Sneinton  Amethyst  is  also  an  admirable  specimen. 
The  standard  of  points  laid  down  by  the  Yorkshire  Terrier 
Club  is  as  follows  : — 

General  Appearance — That  of  a  long-coated  pet  dog,  the  coat  hanging 
quite  straight  and  evenly  down  each  side,  a  parting  extending  from  the 
nose  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  The  animal  should  be  very  compact  and 
neat,  his  carriage  being  very  sprightly  ;  bearing  an  air  of  importance. 
Although  the  frame  is  hidden  beneath  a  mantle  of  hair,  the  general 
outline  should  be  such  as  to  suggest  the  existence  of  a  vigorous  and 
well-proportioned  body.  Head — Should  be  rather  small  and  flat,  not 
too  prominent  or  round  in  the  skull ;  rather  broad  at  the  muzzle,  with 
a  perfectly  black  nose  ;  the  hair  on  the  muzzle  very  long,  which  should 
be  a  rich,  deep  tan,  not  sooty  or  grey.  Under  the  chin,  long  hah*, 
about  the  same  colour  as  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  which  should  be  a 
bright,  golden  tan,  and  not  on  any  account  intermingled  with  dark  or 
sooty  hairs.  Hairs  on  the  sides  of  the  head  should  be  very  long,  of  a 
few  shades  deeper  tan  than  that  on  the  top  of  the  head,  especially  about 
the  ear-roots.  Eyes — Medium  in  size,  dark  in  colour,  having  a  sharp, 
intelligent  expression,  and  placed  so  as  to  look  directly  forward.  They 
should  not  be  prominent.  The  edges  of  the  eyelids  should  be  dark. 
Ears — Small,  V-shaped,  and  carried  semi-erect,  covered  with  short  hair  ; 
colour  to  be  a  deep  rich  tan.  Mouth — Good  even  mouth  ;  teeth  as 
sound  as  possible.  A  dog  having  lost  a  tooth  or  two,  through  accident 
or  otherwise,  is  not  to  disqualify,  providing  the  jaws  are  even.  Body — 
Very  compact,  with  a  good  loin,  and  level  on  the  top  of  the  back. 
Coat — The  hair,  as  long  and  as  straight  as  possible  (not  wavy),  should 


270       DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

be  glossy,  like  silk  (not  woolly),  extending  from  the  back  of  the  head 
to  the  root  of  the  tail ;  colour,  a  bright  steel  blue,  and  on  no  account 
intermingled  with  fawn,  light  or  dark  hairs.  AH  tan  should  be  darker 
at  the  roots  than  at  the  middle  of  the  hairs,  shading  off  to  a  still  lighter 
tan  at  the  tips.  Legs — Quite  straight,  should  be  of  a  bright  golden  tan, 
well  covered  with  hair,  a  few  shades  lighter  at  the  end  than  at  the  roots. 
Feet — As  round  as  possible  ;  toe-nails  black.  Tall — Cut  to  medium 
length ;  with  plenty  of  hair,  darker  blue  than  the  rest  of  the  body, 
especially  at  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  is  carried  slightly  higher  than  the 
level  of  the  back.  Weight — Divided  into  two  classes ;  under  5  Ib.  and 
over  5  Ib.  to  12  Ib. 


CHAPTER    XLIII 
THE    POMERANIAN 

LONG  before  the  Pomeranian  dog  was  common  in  Great 
Britain,  this  breed  was  to  be  met  with  in  many  parts  of  Europe, 
especially  in  Germany  ;  and  he  was  known  under  different 
names,  according  to  his  size  and  the  locality  in  which  he 
flourished.  The  title  of  Pomeranian  is  not  admitted  by  the 
Germans  at  all,  who  claim  this  as  one  of  their  national  breeds, 
and  give  it  the  general  name  of  the  German  Spitz. 

At  Athens,  in  the  Street  of  Tombs,  there  is  a  representation 
of  a  little  Spitz  leaping  up  to  the  daughter  of  a  family  as  she  is 
taking  leave  of  them,  which  bears  the  date  equivalent  to  56 
B.C.,  and  in  the  British  Museum  there  is  an  ancient  bronze  jar 
of  Greek  workmanship,  upon  which  is  engraved  a  group  of 
winged  horses  at  whose  feet  there  is  a  small  dog  of  undoubted 
Pomeranian  type.  The  date  is  the  second  century,  B.C. 

It  is  now  generally  accepted  that,  wherever  our  Pomeranian 
originated,  he  is  a  Northern  or  Arctic  breed.  Evidence  goes 
to  show  that  his  native  land  in  prehistoric  times  was  the  land 
of  the  Samoyedes,  in  the  north  of  Siberia,  along  the  shores  of 
the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  Samoyede  dog  is  being  gradually  intro- 
duced into  England,  and  good  specimens  can  be  frequently 
seen  at  the  principal  shows.  The  similarity  between  our 
large  white  Pomeranian  and  the  Samoyede  is  too  great  to  be 
accidental.  And  we  are  drawn  to  the  conclusion  that  in 
prehistoric  times  a  migration  of  the  Samoyedes  was  made  from 
their  native  land  into  Pomerania,  the  most  eastern  province 
of  Prussia  bordering  on  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  that  these  people 
took  with  them  their  dogs,  which  were  the  progenitors  of  the 
present  race  of  Pomeranian  or  Spitz. 

271 


272        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

But  in  any  case  the  Pomeranian  dog,  so  called,  has  been  a 
native  of  various  parts  of  Europe  from  very  early  times.  His 
advent  into  England  has  been  of  comparatively  recent  date, 
at  least  in  any  great  numbers,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
since  no  ancient  records  exist  on  this  question.  Gainsborough, 
however,  painted  the  famous  actress,  Mrs.  Robinson,  with  a 
large  white  Pomeranian  sitting  by  her  side. 

In  Rees'  Encyclopedia,  published  in  1816,  a  good  picture 
of  a  white  Pomeranian  is  given  with  a  fairly  truthful  des- 
cription. In  this  work  he  is  said  to  be  "  larger  than  the 
common  sheep  dog."  Rees  gives  his  name  as  Canis  Pomer- 
anius,  from  Linnaeus,  and  Chien  Loup,  from  Buffon.  From 
these  examples,  therefore,  we  may  infer  that  the  large  Pomer- 
anian, or  Wolf  Spitz,  was  already  known  in  England  towards 
the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  at  least.  There  are,  how- 
ever, no  systematic  registers  of  Pomeranians  prior  to  the  year 
1870. 

Even  ten  years  later  than  this  last  date,  so  little  was  the 
breed  appreciated  that  a  well-known  writer  on  dogs  began  an 
article  on  the  Pomeranian  with  the  words  "  The  Pomeranian 
is  admittedly  one  of  the  least  interesting  dogs  in  existence, 
and  consequently  his  supporters  are  few  and  far 
between." 

The  founders  of  the  Kennel  Club  held  their  first  dog  show 
in  1870,  and  in  that  year  only  three  Pomeranians  were  exhi- 
bited. For  the  next  twenty  years  little  or  no  permanent 
increase  occurred  in  the  numbers  of  Pomeranians  entered  at 
the  chief  dog  show  in  England.  The  largest  entry  took  place 
in  1881,  when  there  were  fifteen  ;  but  in  1890  there  was  not  a 
single  Pomeranian  shown.  From  this  time,  however,  the 
numbers  rapidly  increased.  Commencing  in  1891  with 
fourteen,  increasing  in  1901  to  sixty,  it  culminated  in  1905 
with  the  record  number  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five. 
Such  a  rapid  advance  between  the  years  1890  and  1905  is 
unprecedented  in  the  history  of  dog  shows,  although  it  is 
right  to  add  that  this  extraordinarily  rapid  rise  into  popularity 


THE  POMERANIAN  273 

has  since  been  equalled  in  the  case  of  the  now  fashionable 
Pekinese. 

This  tendency  to  advancement  in  public  favour  was  con- 
temporaneous with  the  formation  of  the  Pomeranian  Club  of 
England,  which  was  founded  in  1891,  and  through  its  fostering 
care  the  Pomeranian  has  reached  a  height  of  popularity  far  in 
advance  of  that  attained  by  any  other  breed  of  toy  dog. 
One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  club  was  to  draw  up  a  standard  of 
points  as  follows  : — 

Appearance — The  Pomeranian  should  be  a  compact,  short  coupled 
dog,  well  knit  in  frame.  He  should  exhibit  great  intelligence  in  his 
expression,  and  activity  and  buoyancy  in  his  deportment.  Head  and 
Nose — Should  be  foxy  in  outline  or  wedge-shaped,  the  skull  being 
slightly  flat,  large  in  proportion  to  the  muzzle,  which  should  finish 
rather  fine  and  free  from  lippiness.  The  teeth  should  be  level,  and 
should  on  no  account  be  undershot.  The  hair  on  the  head  and  face 
should  be  smooth  and  short-coated.  The  nose  should  be  black  in 
white,  orange  and  sable  dogs  ;  but  in  other  colours  may  be  self,  but 
never  parti-colour  or  white.  Ears — Should  be  small,  not  set  too  far 
apart,  nor  too  low  down,  but  carried  perfectly  erect  like  those  of  a  fox, 
and,  like  the  head,  should  be  covered  with  short,  soft  hair.  Eyes — 
Should  be  medium  in  size,  not  full,  nor  set  too  wide  apart,  bright  and 
dark  in  colour,  showing  great  intelligence  ;  in  white,  shaded  sable,  or 
orange  dogs  the  rims  round  the  eyes  should  be  black.  Neck  and  Body 
— The  neck  should  be  rather  short,  well  set  in.  The  back  must  be  short 
and  the  body  compact,  being  well  ribbed  up  and  the  barrel  well  rounded. 
The  chest  must  be  fairly  deep  and  not  too  wide,  but  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  dog.  Legs — The  fore-legs  must  be  well  feathered,  perfectly 
straight,  of  medium  length,  and  not  such  as  would  be  termed  "  leggy  " 
or  "  low  "  on  leg,  but  in  due  proportion  in  length  and  strength  to  a 
well-balanced  frame.  Must  be  fine  in  bone  and  free  in  action.  The 
hind-legs  and  thighs  must  be  well  feathered,  neither  contracted  nor 
wide  behind  ;  the  feet  small  and  compact  in  shape.  Shoulders  should 
be  clean,  and  well  laid  back.  Tail — The  tail  is  one  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  breed,  and  should  be  turned  over  the  back  and  carried  flat  and 
straight,  being  profusely  covered  with  long,  harsh,  spreading  hair. 
Coat — There  should  be  two  coats,  an  undercoat  and  an  overcoat ;  the 
one  a  soft  fluffy  undercoat,  the  other  a  long,  perfectly  straight  coat, 
harsh  in  texture,  covering  the  whole  of  the  body,  being  very  abundant 
round  the  neck  and  fore  part  of  the  shoulders  and  chest  where  it  should 
form  a  frill  of  profuse  standing  off  straight  hair,  extending  over  the 
shoulders.  The  hind-quarters  should  be  clad  with  long  hair  or  feather- 
ing, from  the  top  of  the  rump  to  the  hock.  Colour — All  whole  colours 
are  admissible,  but  they  should  be  free  from  white  or  shadings,  and  the 
whites  must  be  quite  free  from  lemon  or  any  other  colour.  A  few 
white  hairs  in  any  of  the  self  colours  shall  not  necessarily  disqualify. 
At  present  the  whole  coloured  dogs  are  : — White,  black,  brown  (light 


274        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

or  dark),  blue  (as  pale  as  possible),  orange  (which  should  be  as  deep  and 
even  in  colour  as  possible),  beaver,  or  cream.  Dogs,  other  than  white, 
with  white  foot  or  feet,  leg  or  legs,  are  decidedly  objectionable  and 
should  be  discouraged,  and  cannot  compete  as  whole  coloured  specimens. 
In  parti-coloured  dogs  the  colours  should  be  evenly  distributed  on  the 
body  in  patches  ;  a  dog  with  white  or  tan  feet  or  chest  would  not  be  a 
parti-colour.  Shaded  sables  should  be  shaded  throughout  with  three 
or  more  colours,  the  hairs  to  be  as  "  uniformly  shaded  "  as  possible, 
with  no  patches  of  self  colour.  In  mixed  classes  where  whole  coloured 
and  parti-coloured  Pomeranians  compete  together,  the  preference 
should,  if  in  other  points  they  are  equal,  be  given  to  the  whole  coloured 
specimens.  Where  classification  is  not  by  colours  the  following  is 
recommended  for  adoption  by  show  committees  : — 1.  Not  exceeding 
7  Ib.  (Pomeranian  Miniatures).  2.  Exceeding  7  Ib.  (Pomeranians). 
3.  Pomeranians  and  Pomeranian  Miniatures  mixed. 

The  early  type  of  a  Pomeranian  was  that  of  a  dog  varying 
from  10  Ib.  or  12  Ib.  weight  up  to  20  Ib.  weight,  or  even  more, 
and  some  few  of  about  12  Ib.  and  over  are  still  to  be  met  with  ; 
but  the  tendency  among  present-day  breeders  is  to  get  them 
as  small  as  possible,  so  that  diminutive  specimens  weighing 
less  than  5  Ib.  are  now  quite  common,  and  always  fetch  higher 
prices  than  the  heavier  ones.  The  dividing  weight,  as  arranged 
some  ten  years  ago  by  the  Pomeranian  Club,  is  8  Ib.,  and  the 
Kennel  Club  has  recently  divided  the  breed  into  two  classes 
of  Pomeranians  and  Pomeranians  Miniature. 

As  a  rule  the  white  specimens  adhere  more  nearly  to  the 
primitive  type,  and  are  generally  over  8  Ib.  in  weight,  but 
through  the  exertions  of  many  breeders,  several  are  now  to  be 
seen  under  this  limit. 

The  principal  breeders  of  this  colour  in  England  to-day  are 
Miss  Hamilton  of  Rozelle,  Miss  Chell,  Miss  Lee-Roberts,  Mrs. 
Pope,  and  Mrs.  Goodall-Copestake.  The  first  two  whites  to 
become  full  champions  under  Kennel  Club  rules  were  Rob  of 
Rozelle  and  Konig  of  Rozelle,  both  belonging  to  Miss  Hamilton 
of  Rozelle. 

More  black  Pomeranians  have  been  bred  in  England  than  of 
any  other  colour,  and  during  the  last  fifteen  years  the  number 
of  good  specimens  that  have  appeared  at  our  great  exhibitions 
has  been  legion.  There  do  not  seem  to  be  so  many  really 
good  ones  to-day  as  heretofore ;  this  is  explained,  perhaps, 


THE  POMERANIAN  275 

by  the  fact  that  other  colours  are  now  receiving  more  and 
more  attention  from  breeders.  A  typical  small  black  of  to- 
day is  Billie  Tee,  the  property  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stanley  Mappin. 
He  scales  only  5j  lb.,  and  is  therefore,  as  to  size  and  weight 
as  well  as  shape,  style,  and  smartness  of  action,  a  good  type 
of  a  toy  Pomeranian.  He  was  bred  by  Mrs.  Gates,  and  is  the 
winner  of  over  fifty  prizes  and  many  specials.  To  enumerate 
all  the  first-class  blacks  during  the  last  thirty  years  would  be 
impossible,  but  those  which  stand  out  first  and  foremost 
have  been  Black  Boy,  King  Pippin,  Kaffir  Boy,  Bayswater 
Swell,  Kensington  King,  Marland  King,  Black  Prince,  Hatcham 
Nip,  Walkley  Queenie,  Viva,  Gateacre  Zulu,  Glympton  King 
Edward,  and  Billie  Tee. 

The  brown  variety  has  for  a  long  time  been  an  especial 
favourite  with  the  public,  and  many  good  ones  have  been  bred 
during  the  last  ten  years.  There  are  many  different  shades  of 
browns,  varying  from  a  dark  chocolate  to  a  light  beaver,  but 
in  all  cases  they  should  be  whole-coloured. 

An  admirable  example  of  the  brown  Pomeranians  is  the 
incomparable  Ch.  Tina.  This  beautiful  little  lady  was  bred  by 
Mrs.  Addis  from  Bayswater  Swell  ex  Kitsey,  and  scaled  a  little 
under  5  lb.  She  won  over  every  Pomeranian  that  competed 
against  her,  besides  having  been  many  times  placed  over  all 
other  dogs  of  any  breed  in  open  competition. 

The  shaded  sables  are  among  the  prettiest  of  all  the  various 
colours  which  Pomeranians  may  assume.  They  must  be 
shaded  throughout  with  three  or  more  colours,  as  uniformly 
as  possible,  with  no  patches  of  self-colour.  They  are  be- 
coming very  popular,  and  good  specimens  are  much  sought 
after  at  high  prices.  Mrs.  Hall- Walker  has  been  constant 
in  her  devotion  to  this  variety  for  several  years,  and  she 
possesses  a  very  fine  team  in  Champions  Dainty  Boy,  Dainty 
Belle,  Bibury  Belle,  and  in  Gateacre  Sable  Sue.  Mrs.  Vale 
Nicolas  also  has  recently  been  most  successful  with  shaded 
sables.  Ch.  Nanky  Po,  over  8  lb.,  and  Champions  Sable  Mite 
and  Atom  bear  witness  to  this  statement.  Her  lovely  Mite 


276        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

is  a  typical  example  of  a  small  Pomeranian  of  this  colour.  He 
was  bred  by  Mr.  Hirst,  by  Little  Nipper  ex  Laurel  Fluffie, 
and  scales  only  4$  Ib.  Mention  should  also  be  made  of  Miss 
Ives'  Dragon  Fly,  Mrs.  Boutcher's  Lady  Wolfino,  Miss  Bland's 
Marland  Topaz,  Mr.  Walter  Winans'  Morning  Light,  and  Mr. 
Fowler's  May  Duchess. 

The  blues,  or  smoke-coloured  Pomeranians,  have  likewise 
their  admirers,  and  among  those  who  have  taken  up  these  as 
a  speciality  may  be  mentioned  Miss  Ives,  Mrs.  Parker,  Mrs. 
Loy,  and  Miss  Ruby  Cooke. 

Another  colour  which  has  attained  of  late  years  increasing 
popularity  in  England  is  orange.  These  should  be  self- 
coloured  throughout,  and  light  shadings,  though  not  dis- 
qualifying, should  be  discouraged.  The  principal  breeder  of 
the  orange  Pomeranian  to-day  is  Mr.  W.  Brown,  of  Raleigh, 
Essex,  who  has  probably  more  specimens  in  his  kennels  than 
any  other  breeder  of  this  colour.  Tiny  Boy,  The  Boy,  and 
Orange  Boy  are  his  best,  and  all  three  are  approved  sires. 
Mrs.  Hall- Walker  is  an  admirer  of  this  colour,  and  her  Gateacre 
Philander,  Lupino,  and  Orange  Girl  are  great  prize-winners. 
Miss  Hamilton  of  Rozelle  has  for  many  years  bred  "  oranges," 
and  has  given  to  the  Pomeranian  Club,  of  which  she  is  Presi- 
dent, two  challenge  cups  for  Pomeranians  of  this  colour. 
Mrs.  Birch  also  is  a  lover  of  this  hue,  and  possesses  such  good 
dogs  as  Rufus  Rusticus  and  Cheriwinkle. 

There  is  still  another  variety  which  bears  the  name  of  parti- 
coloured. As  the  name  implies,  these  dogs  must  be  of  more 
than  one  colour,  and  the  colours  should  be  evenly  distributed 
on  the  body  in  patches  ;  for  example,  a  black  dog  with  a 
white  foot  or  leg  or  chest  would  not  be  a  parti-colour.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  there  have  been  bred  in  England  very  few  parti- 
coloured Pomeranians  ;  they  seem  to  be  freaks  which  are  rarely 
produced.  It  does  not  follow  that  by  mating  a  black  dog  to  a 
white  bitch,  or  vice  versa,  a  parti-coloured  will  be  necessarily 
obtained ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  more  likely  that  the  litter 
will  consist  of  some  whole-coloured  blacks,  and  some  whole- 


THE  POMERANIAN  277 

coloured  whites.  Miss  Hamilton's  Maf eking  of  Rozelle, 
and  Mrs.  Vale  Nicolas's  Shelton  Novelty,  are  the  two  most 
prominent  specimens  at  the  present  time,  although  Mrs. 
Harcourt-Clare's  Magpie  and  Mr.  Temple's  Leyswood  Tom  Tit 
were  perhaps  better  known  some  time  ago. 

Among  toy  dogs  this  particular  breed  has  enjoyed  an  un- 
precedented popularity ;  the  growth  in  the  public  favour 
among  all  classes  has  been  gradual  and  permanent  during  the 
last  fifteen  years,  and  there  are  no  signs  that  it  is  losing  its 
hold  on  the  love  and  affection  of  a  large  section  of  the  English 
people.  His  handsome  appearance,  his  activity,  and  hardi- 
hood, his  devotedness  to  his  owner,  his  usefulness  as  a  house- 
dog, and  his  many  other  admirable  qualities  will  always  make 
the  Pomeranian  a  favourite  both  in  the  cottage  and  in  the 
palace. 


CHAPTER    XLIV 
THE    KING   CHARLES   SPANIELS 

IN  the  fourth  chapter  of  Macaulay's  History  of  England 
we  read  of  King  Charles  II.  that  "  he  might  be  seen  before  the 
dew  was  off  the  grass  in  St.  James's  Park,  striding  among  the 
trees  playing  with  his  Spaniels  and  flinging  corn  to  his  ducks, 
and  these  exhibitions  endeared  him  to  the  common  people, 
who  always  like  to  see  the  great  unbend." 

Queen  Elizabeth's  physician,  Dr.  Caius,  described  these 
little  Spaniels  as  "  delicate,  neate,  and  pretty  kind  of  dogges, 
called  the  Spaniel  gentle  or  the  comforter,"  and  further  said  : 
"  These  dogges  are  little,  pretty,  proper,  and  fyne,  and  sought 
for  to  satisfie  the  delicatenesse  of  daintie  dames  and  wanton 
women's  wills,  instruments  of  folly  for  them  to  play  and  dally 
withall,  to  tryfle  away  the  treasure  of  time,  to  withdraw  their 
mindes  from  their  commendable  exercises.  These  puppies  the 
smaller  they  be,  the  more  pleasure  they  provoke  as  more  meete 
playfellowes  for  minsing  mistrisses  to  beare  in  their  bosoms, 
to  keepe  company  withall  in  their  chambers,  to  succour  with 
sleepe  in  bed,  and  nourishe  with  meate  at  board,  to  lie  in  their 
lappes,  and  licke  their  lippes  as  they  ryde  in  their  waggons, 
and  good  reason  it  should  be  so,  for  coursenesse  with  fynenesse 
hath  no  fellowship,  but  featnesse  with  neatnesse  hath  neigh- 
bourhood enough." 

There  would  appear  to  be  much  divergence  of  opinion 
as  to  the  origin  of  this  breed,  and  the  date  of  its  first  appear- 
ance in  England,  but  it  was  certainly  acclimatised  here 
as  early  as  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  and  it  is  generally  thought 
that  it  is  of  Japanese  origin,  taken  from  Japan  to  Spain  by 

278 


THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       279 

the  early  voyagers  to  the  East,  and  thence  imported  into 
England.  The  English  Toy  Spaniels  of  to-day,  especially  the 
Blenheim  variety,  are  also  said  by  some  to  be  related  to  some 
sporting  Spaniels  which  belonged  to  Queen  Mary  about  the 
year  1555,  and  might  have  been  brought  over  from  Germany. 
Mary  kept  a  pack  of  Spaniels  for  hunting  purposes. 

There  is  another  theory  advanced,  and  with  some  reason 
that  the  English  Toy  Spaniel  of  the  present  day  derived  its 
origin  from  the  Cocker  Spaniel,  as  these  larger  dogs  have  the 
same  colours  and  markings,  black  and  tan,  tricolour,  and  red 
and  white.  The  Cocker  also  occasionally  has  the  spot  on  the 
forehead  which  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Blenheim. 

Be  the  origin  of  the  King  Charles  Spaniel,  and  its  advent  in 
this  country,  what  it  may,  King  Charles  II.  so  much  indulged 
and  loved  these  little  friends  that  they  followed  him  hither  and 
thither  as  they  pleased,  and  seem  to  have  been  seldom  sepa- 
rated from  him.  By  him  they  were  loved  and  cherished,  and 
brought  into  great  popularity ;  in  his  company  they  adorn 
canvas  and  ancient  tapestries,  and  are  reputed  to  have  been 
allowed  free  access  at  all  times  to  Whitehall,  Hampton  Court, 
and  other  royal  palaces. 

There  are  now  four  recognised  varieties  of  the  English  Toy 
Spaniel,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  five,  as  the  Marlborough 
Blenheims  are  considered  a  distinct  type.  The  latter  are  said 
by  some  to  be  the  oldest  of  the  Toy  Spaniels  ;  by  others  to 
have  been  first  brought  over  from  Spain  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  by  John  Churchill,  first  Duke  of  Marlborough, 
from  whose  home,  Blenheim  Palace,  the  name  was  derived,  and 
has  ever  since  been  retained. 

If  we  may  take  the  evidence  of  Vandyck,  Watteau,  Francois 
Boucher,  and  Greuze,  in  whose  pictures  they  are  so  frequently 
introduced,  all  the  toy  Spaniels  of  bygone  days  had  much 
longer  noses  and  smaller,  flatter  heads  than  those  of  the 
present  time,  and  they  had  much  longer  ears,  these  in  many 
instances  dragging  on  the  ground. 

The  Marlborough  Blenheim  has  retained  several  of  the 


28o        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

ancestral  points.  Although  this  variety  is  of  the  same  family, 
and  has  the  same  name,  as  the  short-nosed  Blenheim  of 
the  present  day,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  between  the 
two  types.  The  Marlborough  is  higher  on  the  legs,  which 
need  not  be  so  fully  feathered.  He  has  a  much  longer  muzzle 
and  a  flatter  and  more  contracted  skull.  The  Marlborough 
possesses  many  of  the  attributes  of  a  sporting  Spaniel ;  but 
so  also  does  the  modern  Blenheim,  although  perhaps  in  a 
lesser  degree.  He  has  a  very  good  scent.  Mr.  Rawdon  B. 
Lee  states  that  "  the  Blenheims  of  Marlborough  were  excellent 
dogs  to  work  the  coverts  for  cock  and  pheasant,  and  that 
excepting  in  colour  there  is  in  reality  not  much  difference 
in  appearance  between  the  older  orange  and  white  dogs  (not 
as  they  are  to-day,  with  their  abnormally  short  noses,  round 
skulls,  and  enormous  eyes),  and  the  liver  and  white  Cockers 
which  H.  B.  Chalon  drew  for  Daniel's  Rural  Sports  in  1801." 

This  will  bear  out  the  statement  that  the  smaller  type  of 
Spaniel  may  be  descended  from  the  Cockers. 

The  ground  colour  of  this  dog  is  white,  with  chestnut 
encircling  the  ears  to  the  muzzle,  the  sides  of  the  neck  are 
chestnut,  as  are  also  the  ears.  There  is  a  white  blaze  on  the 
forehead,  in  the  centre  of  which  should  be  a  clear  lozenge- 
shaped  chestnut  spot,  called  the  beauty  spot,  which  by  in- 
breeding with  other  varieties  is  fast  being  lost.  Chestnut 
markings  are  on  the  body  and  on  the  sides  of  the  hind-legs. 
The  coat  should  incline  to  be  curly  ;  the  head  must  be  flat, 
not  broad,  and  the  muzzle  should  be  straight.  The  chestnut 
should  be  of  a  rich  colour. 

The  four  varieties — the  King  Charles,  Tricolour  or  (as  he  has 
been  called)  Charles  I.  Spaniel,  the  modern  Blenheim,  and  the 
Ruby — have  all  the  same  points,  differing  from  one  another  in 
colour  only,  and  the  following  description  of  the  points  as 
determined  by  the  Toy  Spaniel  Club  serves  for  all : — 

Head — Should  be  well  domed,  and  in  good  specimens  is  absolutely 
semi-globular,  sometimes  even  extending  beyond  the  half-circle,  and 
projecting  over  the  eyes,  so  as  nearly  to  meet  the  upturned  nose.  Eyes 


THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       281 

— The  eyes  are  set  wide  apart,  with  the  eyelids  square  to  the  line  of  the 
face,  not  oblique  or  fox-like.  The  eyes  themselves  are  large,  and  dark 
as  possible,  so  as  to  be  generally  considered  black,  their  enormous 
pupils,  which  are  absolutely  of  that  colour,  increasing  the  description. 
There  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  weeping  shown  at  the  inner  angles. 
This  is  owing  to  a  defect  in  the  lachrymal  duct.  Stop — The  "  stop  " 
or  hollow  between  the  eyes  is  well  marked,  as  in  the  Bulldog,  or  even 
more  so  ;  some  good  specimens  exhibit  a  hollow  deep  enough  to  bury 
a  small  marble.  Nose — The  nose  must  be  short  and  well  turned  up 
between  the  eyes,  and  without  any  indication  of  artificial  displacement 
afforded  by  a  deviation  to  either  side.  The  colour  of  the  end  should 
be  black,  and  it  should  be  both  deep  and  wide  with  open  nostrils. 
Jaw — The  muzzle  must  be  square  and  deep,  and  the  lower  jaw  wide 
between  the  branches,  leaving  plenty  of  space  for  the  tongue,  and 
for  the  attachment  of  the  lower  lips,  which  should  completely  conceal 
the  teeth.  It  should  also  be  turned  up  or  "  finished,"  so  as  to  allow  of 
its  meeting  the  end  of  the  upper  jaw  turned  up  in  a  similar  way,  as  above 
described.  Ears — The  ears  must  be  long,  so  as  to  approach  the  ground. 
In  an  average-sized  dog  they  measure  twenty  inches  from  tip  to  tip, 
and  some  reach  twenty-two  inches,  or  even  a  trifle  more.  They  should 
be  set  low  on  the  head,  hang  flat  to  the  sides  of  the  cheeks,  and  be 
heavily  feathered.  In  this  last  respect  the  King  Charles  is  expected  to 
exceed  the  Blenheim,  and  his  ears  occasionally  extend  to  twenty-four 
inches.  Size — The  most  desirable  size  is  indicated  by  the  accepted 
weight  of  from  7  Ib.  to  10  Ib.  Shape — In  compactness  of  shape  these 
Spaniels  almost  rival  the  Pug,  but  the  length  of  coat  adds  greatly 
to  the  apparent  bulk,  as  the  body,  when  the  coat  is  wetted,  looks 
small  in  comparison  with  that  dog.  Still,  it  ought  to  be  decidedly 
"  cobby,"  with  strong,  stout  legs,  short  broad  back  and  wide  chest. 
The  symmetry  of  the  King  Charles  is  of  importance,  but  it  is  seldom 
that  there  is  any  defect  in  this  respect.  Coat — The  coat  should  be 
long,  silky,  soft  and  wavy,  but  not  curly.  In  the  Blenheim  there 
should  be  a  profuse  mane,  extending  well  down  in  the  front  of  the 
chest.  The  feather  should  be  well  displayed  on  the  ears  and  feet,  and 
in  the  latter  case  so  thickly  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  their  being 
webbed.  It  is  also  carried  well  up  the  backs  of  the  legs.  In  the  Black 
and  Tan  the  feather  on  the  ears  is  very  long  and  profuse,  exceeding  that 
of  the  Blenheim  by  an  inch  or  more.  The  feather  on  the  tail  (which 
is  cut  to  the  length  of  three  and  a  half  to  four  inches)  should  be  silky, 
and  from  five  to  six  inches  in  length,  constituting  a  marked  "  flag  " 
of  a  square  shape,  and  not  carried  above  the  level  of  the  back.  Colour 
— The  colour  differs  with  the  variety.  The  Black  and  Tan  is  a  rich 
glossy  black  and  deep  mahogany  tan  ;  tan  spots  over  the  eyes,  and  the 
usual  markings  on  the  muzzle,  chest,  and  legs  are  also  required.  The 
Ruby  is  a  rich  chestnut  red,  and  is  whole-coloured.  The  presence  of  a 
few  white  hairs  intermixed  with  the  black  on  the  chest  of  a  Black  and 
Tan,  or  intermixed  with  the  red  on  the  chest  of  a  Ruby  Spaniel,  shall 
carry  weight  against  a  dog,  but  shall  not  in  itself  absolutely  disqualify  ; 
but  a  white  patch  on  the  chest  or  white  on  any  other  part  of  a  Black 
and  Tan  or  Ruby  Spaniel  shall  be  a  disqualification.  The  Blenheim 
must  on  no  account  be  whole-coloured,  but  should  have  a  ground  of 


282        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

pure  pearly  white,  with  bright  rich  chestnut  or  ruby  red  markings 
evenly  distributed  in  large  patches.  The  ears  and  cheeks  should  be 
red,  with  a  blaze  of  white  extending  from  the  nose  up  the  forehead,  and 
ending  between  the  ears  in  a  crescentic  curve.  In  the  centre  of  this 
blaze  at  the  top  of  the  forehead  there  should  be  a  clear  "  spot  "  of  red, 
of  the  size  of  a  sixpence.  Tan  ticks  on  the  fore-legs  and  on  the  white 
muzzle  are  desirable.  The  Tricolour  should  in  part  have  the  tan  of  the 
Black  and  Tan,  with  markings  like  the  Blenheim  in  black  instead 
of  red  on  a  pearly-white  ground.  The  ears  and  under  the  tail  should 
also  be  lined  with  tan.  The  Tricolour  has  no  "  spot,"  that  beauty  being 
peculiarly  the  property  of  the  Blenheim.  The  All  Red  King  Charles 
is  known  by  the  name  of  "  Ruby  Spaniel  "  ;  the  colour  of  the  nose  is 
black.  The  points  of  the  "  Ruby  "  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  "  Black 
and  Tan/'  differing  only  in  colour. 

The  King  Charles  variety  used  to  consist  of  black  and  tan 
and  black  and  white  Spaniels,  and  it  is  thought  that  by  the 
inter-breeding  of  the  two  specimens  the  Tricolour  was  pro- 
duced. The  colour  of  the  King  Charles  now  is  a  glossy  black 
with  rich  mahogany  tan  spots  over  the  eyes  and  on  the 
cheeks.  There  should  also  be  some  tan  on  the  legs  and  under 
the  tail. 

The  Prince  Charles,  or  Tricolour,  should  have  a  pearly-white 
ground  with  glossy  black  markings  evenly  distributed  over 
the  body  in  patches.  The  ears  should  be  lined  with  tan  ; 
tan  must  also  be  seen  over  the  eyes,  and  some  on  the  cheeks. 
Under  the  tail  also  tan  must  appear. 

The  Blenheim  must  also  have  a  pearly- white  ground  with 
bright  rich  chestnut  or  ruby  red  markings  evenly  distributed 
in  patches  over  the  body.  The  ears  and  cheeks  must  be  red, 
and  a  white  blaze  should  stretch  from  the  nose  to  the  forehead 
and  thence  in  a  curve  between  the  ears.  In  the  middle  of  the 
forehead  there  should  be,  on  the  white  blaze,  a  clear  red  spot 
about  the  size  of  a  sixpence.  This  is  called  the  "  Blenheim 
spot,"  which,  as  well  as  the  profuse  mane,  adds  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  this  particular  Toy  Spaniel.  Unfortunately,  in  a 
litter  of  Blenheims  the  spot  is  often  wanting. 

The  Ruby  Spaniel  is  of  one  colour,  a  rich,  unbroken  red. 
The  nose  is  black.  There  are  now  some  very  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  Ruby  Spaniels,  but  it  is  only  within  the  last  quarter  of 


THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       283 

a  century  that  this  variety  has  existed.  It  seems  to  have 
originally  appeared  in  a  litter  of  King  Charles  puppies,  when 
it  was  looked  upon  as  a  freak  of  nature,  taking  for  its  entire 
colour  only  the  tan  markings  and  losing  the  black  ground. 

The  different  varieties  of  Toy  Spaniels  have  been  so  much 
interbred  that  a  litter  has  been  reputed  to  contain  the  four 
kinds,  but  this  would  be  of  very  rare  occurrence.  The  Blen- 
heim is  now  often  crossed  with  the  Tricolour,  when  the  litter 
consist  of  puppies  quite  true  to  the  two  types.  The  crossing 
of  the  King  Charles  with  the  Ruby  is  also  attended  with  very 
good  results,  the  tan  markings  on  the  King  Charles  becoming 
very  bright  and  the  colour  of  the  Ruby  also  being  improved. 
Neither  of  these  specimens  should  be  crossed  with  either 
the  Blenheim  or  the  Tricolour,  as  white  must  not  appear  ia 
either  the  King  Charles  or  the  Ruby  Spaniel. 

It  is  regretted  by  some  of  the  admirers  of  these  dogs  that 
custom  has  ordained  that  their  tails  should  be  docked.  As 
portrayed  in  early  pictures  of  the  King  Charles  and  the 
Blenheim  varieties,  the  tails  are  long,  well  flagged,  and 
inclined  to  curve  gracefully  over  the  back,  and  in  none  of  the 
pictures  of  the  supposed  ancestors  of  our  present  Toy 
Spaniels — even  so  recent  as  those  painted  by  Sir  Edwin 
Landseer — do  we  find  an  absence  of  the  long  tail. 

If  left  intact,  the  tail  would  take  two  or  three  years  to  attain 
perfection,  but  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  dog  generally,, 
which  improves  very  much  with  age,  and  is  not  at  its  best  until 
it  is  three  years  old,  and  even  then  continues  to  improve. 

Although  the  Toy  Spaniels  are  unquestionably  true  aristo- 
crats by  nature,  birth,  and  breeding,  and  are  most  at  home  in 
a  drawing-room  or  on  a  well-kept  lawn,  they  are  by  no  means 
deficient  in  sporting  proclivities,  and,  in  spite  of  their  short 
noses,  their  scent  is  very  keen.  They  thoroughly  enjoy  a 
good  scamper,  and  are  all  the  better  for  not  being  too  much 
pampered.  They  are  very  good  house-dogs,  intelligent 
and  affectionate,  and  have  sympathetic,  coaxing  little  ways. 
One  point  in  their  favour  is  the  fact  that  they  are  not  noisy,. 


284        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  do  not  yap  continually  when  strangers  go  into  a  room 
where  they  are,  or  at  other  times,  as  is  the  habit  with  some 
breeds  of  toy  dogs. 

Those  who  have  once  had  King  Charles  Spaniels  as  pets 
seldom  care  to  replace  them  by  any  other  variety  of  dog, 
fearing  lest  they  might  not  find  in  another  breed  such  engaging 
little  friends  and  companions,  "  gentle  "  as  of  yore  and  also 
"  comforters." 

Although  these  dogs  need  care,  they  possess  great  powers  of 
endurance.  They  appreciate  warmth  and  comfort,  but  do  not 
thrive  so  well  in  either  extreme  heat  or  intense  cold.  One 
thing  to  be  avoided  is  the  wetting  of  their  feathered  feet,  or, 
should  this  happen,  allowing  them  to  remain  so  ;  and,  as  in 
the  case  of  all  dogs  with  long  ears,  the  interior  of  the  ears 
should  be  carefully  kept  dry  to  avoid  the  risk  of  canker. 

In  going  back  to  a  period  long  before  the  last  century  was 
half-way  through,  we  find  that  a  great  number  of  these  orna- 
mental pets  were  in  the  hands  of  working  men  living  in  the 
East  End  of  London,  and  the  competition  among  them  to 
own  the  best  was  very  keen.  They  held  miniature  dog  shows 
at  small  taverns,  and  paraded  their  dogs  on  the  sanded  floor 
of  tap-rooms,  their  owners  sitting  around  smoking  long  church- 
warden pipes.  The  value  of  good  specimens  in  those  early 
days  appears  to  have  been  from  £5  to  £250,  which  latter  sum 
is  said  to  have  been  refused  by  a  comparatively  poor  man  for 
a  small  black  and  tan  with  very  long  ears,  and  a  nose  much 
too  long  for  our  present-day  fancy.  Among  the  names  of  some 
old  prominent  breeders  and  exhibitors  may  be  mentioned  those 
of  C.  Aistrop,  J.  Garwood,  J.  A.  Buggs,  and  Mrs.  Forder. 

It  is  interesting  to  note,  on  looking  over  a  catalogue  of  the 
Kennel  Club  Show,  that  in  1884  the  classes  for  Toy  Spaniels 
numbered  five,  with  two  championship  prizes,  one  each  for 
Blenheims  and  Black  and  Tans,  and  the  total  entries  were  19. 
At  this  date  neither  Tricolours  nor  Rubies  were  recognised  as 
a  separate  variety  by  the  Kennel  Cub,  and  they  had  no  place 
:in  the  register  of  breeds  until  the  year  1902.  At  the  Kennel 


THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       285 

Club  show  in  1904  thirty-one  classes  were  provided  and  eight 
challenge  certificate  prizes  were  given,  the  entries  numbering 
109. 

The  formation  of  the  Toy  Spaniel  Club  in  1885,  and  the 
impetus  given  to  breeders  and  exhibitors  by  the  numerous 
shows  with  good  classification,  have  caused  this  beautiful 
breed  to  become  more  popular  year  by  year.  Fifty  years  ago 
the  owners  might  be  almost  counted  on  the  fingers  of  one's 
hands ;  now  probably  the  days  of  the  year  would  hardly  cover 
them. 

Among  the  most  successful  exhibitors  of  late  years  have 
been  the  Hon.  Mrs.  McLaren  Morrison,  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Lytton, 
Mrs.  Graves,  Mrs.  L.  H.  Thompson,  Miss  Young,  Mrs.  H.  B. 
Looker,  Mrs.  Privette,  Miss  Hall,  the  Misses  Clarkson  and 
Grantham,  Mrs.  Dean,  Mr.  H.  Taylor,  Mrs.  Bright,  Mrs. 
Adamson,  Miss  Spofforth,  Mrs.  Hope  Paterson,  Mrs.  Lydia 
Jenkins,  and  Miss  E.  Taylor. 

The  novice  fancier,  desirous  of  breeding  for  profit,  exhibition, 
or  pleasure,  when  price  is  an  object  for  consideration,  is  often 
better  advised  to  purchase  a  healthy  puppy  from  a  breeder  of 
repute  rather  than  to  be  deluded  with  the  notion  that  a  good 
adult  can  be  purchased  for  a  few  pounds,  or  to  be  carried  away 
with  the  idea  that  a  cheap,  indifferently  bred  specimen  will 
produce  first-class  stock.  It  takes  years  to  breed  out  bad 
points,  but  good  blood  will  tell. 

When  you  are  purchasing  a  bitch  with  the  intention  of 
breeding,  many  inquiries  should  be  made  as  to  the  stock  from 
which  she  comes.  This  will  influence  the  selection  of  the  sire 
to  whom  she  is  to  be  mated,  and  he  should  excel  in  the  points 
in  which  she  is  deficient.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have 
perfectly  healthy  animals,  and  if  the  female  be  young,  and  small 
stock  is  desired,  her  mate  should  be  several  years  her  senior. 
A  plain  specimen  of  the  right  blood  is  quite  likely  to  produce 
good  results  to  the  breeder  ;  for  example,  should  there  be  two 
female  puppies  in  a  well-bred  litter,  one  remarkable  as 
promising  to  have  all  the  requirements  for  a  coming  champion, 


286        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

the  other  large  and  plain,  this  latter  should  be  selected  for 
breeding  purposes  as,  being  stronger,  she  will  make  a  better 
and  more  useful  mother  than  her  handsome  sister,  who 
should  be  kept  for  exhibition, or  for  sale  at  a  remunerative  price. 

The  modern  craze  for  small  specimens  makes  them  quite 
unsuitable  for  procreation.  A  brood  bitch  should  not  be  less 
than  9  Ib.  in  weight,  and  even  heavier  is  preferable.  A  sire 
the  same  size  will  produce  small  and  far  more  typical  stock 
than  one  of  5  Ib.  or  6  Ib.,  as  the  tendency  is  to  degenerate, 
especially  in  head  points  ;  but  small  size  can  be  obtained  by 
suitably  selecting  the  parents. 

The  early  spring  is  the  best  season  for  breeding,  as  it  gives 
the  puppies  a  start  of  at  least  six  months  in  which  to  grow  and 
get  strong  before  the  cold  weather  sets  in,  although,  of  course, 
they  can  be  bred  at  any  time,  but  autumn  and  winter  puppies 
are  more  troublesome  to  rear.  It  is  always  wise  to  administer 
occasionally,  both  to  puppies  and  adults,  a  dose  of  worm 
medicine,  so  as  to  give  no  chance  to  internal  parasites — the 
most  troublesome  ill  with  which  the  dog  owner  has  to  wrestle, 
causing  even  more  mortality  than  the  dreaded  scourge  of 
distemper. 

The  rules  of  hygiene  cannot  be  overlooked,  as  upon  them 
hangs  the  success  of  the  breeder ;  plenty  of  fresh  air,  light, 
and  sunshine  are  as  necessary  as  food.  Puppies  of  this  breed 
are  essentially  delicate,  and  must  be  kept  free  from  cold  and 
draughts,  but  they  require  liberty  and  freedom  to  develop  and 
strengthen  their  limbs,  otherwise  they  are  liable  to  develop 
rickets.  Their  food  should  be  of  the  best  quality,  and  after  the 
age  of  six  months,  nothing  seems  more  suitable  than  stale  brown 
bred,  cut  up  dice  size,  and  moistened  with  good  stock  gravy, 
together  with  minced,  lean,  underdone  roast  beef,  with  the 
addition,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  of  a  little  well-cooked  green 
vegetable,  varied  with  rice  or  suet  pudding  and  plain  biscuits. 
Fish  may  also  be  given  occasionally. 

When  only  two  or  three  dogs  are  kept,  table  scraps  will 
generally  be  sufficient,  but  the  pernicious  habit  of  feeding  at  all 


THE  KING  CHARLES  SPANIELS       287 

times,  and  giving  sweets,  pastry,  and  rich  dainties,  is  most 
harmful,  and  must  produce  disastrous  results  to  the  unfortun- 
ate animal.  Two  meals  a  day  at  regular  intervals  are  quite 
sufficient  to  keep  these  little  pets  in  the  best  condition,  although 
puppies  should  be  fed  four  times  daily  in  small  quantities. 
After  leaving  the  mother  they  will  thrive  better  if  put  on  dry 
food,  and  a  small  portion  of  scraped  or  finely  minced  lean  meat 
given  them  every  other  day,  alternately  with  a  chopped  hard- 
boiled  egg  and  stale  bread-crumbs. 


CHAPTER   XLV 
THE    PEKINESE   AND   THE   JAPANESE 

FEW  of  the  many  breeds  of  foreign  dogs  now  established  in 
England  have  attained  such  a  measure  of  popularity  in  so 
short  a  time  as  the  Pekinese.  Of  their  early  history  little  is 
known,  beyond  the  fact  that  at  the  looting  of  the  Summer 
Palace  of  Pekin,  in  1860,  bronze  effigies  of  these  dogs,  known  to 
be  more  than  two  thousand  years  old,  were  found  within  the 
sacred  precincts.  The  dogs  were,  and  are  to  this  day,  jealously 
guarded  under  the  supervision  of  the  Chief  Eunuch  of  the 
Court,  and  few  have  ever  found  their  way  into  the  outer 
world. 

So  far  as  the  writer  is  aware,  the  history  of  the  breed  in 
England  dates  from  the  importation  in  1860  of  five  dogs  taken 
from  the  Summer  Palace,  where  they  had,  no  doubt,  been 
forgotten  on  the  flight  of  the  Court  to  the  interior.  Admiral 
Lord  John  Hay,  who  was  present  on  active  service,  gives  a 
graphic  account  of  the  finding  of  these  little  dogs  in  a  part  of 
the  garden  frequented  by  an  aunt  of  the  Emperor,  who  had 
committed  suicide  on  the  approach  of  the  Allied  Forces. 
Lord  John  and  another  naval  officer,  a  cousin  of  the  late 
Duchess  of  Richmond's,  each  secured  two  dogs ;  the  fifth 
was  taken  by  General  Dunne,  who  presented  it  to  Queen 
Victoria.  Lord  John  took  pains  to  ascertain  that  none  had 
found  their  way  into  the  French  camp,  and  he  heard  then  that 
the  others  had  all  been  removed  to  Jehal  with  the  Court. 
It  is  therefore  reasonable  to  suppose  that  these  five  were  the 
only  Palace  dogs,  or  Sacred  Temple  dogs  of  Pekin,  which 
reached  England,  and  it  is  from  the  pair  which  lived  to  a 

288 


Miss  STEEVENS'  TYPICAL  JAPANESE 
PLPPV 


Photograph  by  7 .  Fall 
MRS.  VALE  NICOLAS'S  POMERANIAN 
CH.  THE  SAKLE  MITE 


Photograph  by  T.  Fall 
Miss  M.  A.  BLAND'S  POMKRANIAN 
CH.  MARLAND   KING 


Photograph  by  Russell 
LADY  HULTON'S  BLENHEIM  CH.  JOY 


THE  HON.  MRS.  LYTTON'S  KING  CHARLES 
CH.  THE  SERAPH 


TOY    DOGS 


THE  PEKINESE  289 

respectable'old  age  at  Goodwood  that  so  many  of  the  breed 
now  in  England  trace  their  descent. 

Many  years  ago  Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild  tried,  through  his 
agents  in  China,  to  secure  a  specimen  of  the  Palace  dog  for  the 
writer,  in  order  to  carry  on  the  Goodwood  strain,  but  without 
success,  even  after  a  correspondence  with  Pekin  which  lasted 
more  than  two  years  ;  but  we  succeeded  in  obtaining  con- 
firmation of  what  we  had  always  understood  :  namely,  that 
the  Palace  dogs  are  rigidly  guarded,  and  that  their  theft  is 
punishable  by  death.  At  the  time  of  the  Boxer  Rebellion 
only  Spaniels,  Pugs,  and  Poodles  were  found  in  the  Imperial 
Palace  when  it  was  occupied  by  the  Allied  Forces,  the  little 
dogs  having  once  more  preceded  the  court  in  the  flight  to 
Si-gnanfu. 

The  Duchess  of  Richmond  occasionally  gave  away  a  dog 
to  intimate  friends,  such  as  the  Dowager  Lady  Wharncliffe, 
Lady  Dorothy  Nevill,  and  others,  but  in  those  days  the  Pekinese 
was  practically  an  unknown  quantity,  and  it  can  therefore  be 
more  readily  understood  what  interest  was  aroused  about 
eleven  years  ago  by  the  appearance  of  a  small  dog,  similar  in 
size,  colour,  and  general  type  to  those  so  carefully  cherished 
at  Goodwood.  This  proved  to  be  none  other  than  the  since 
well-known  sire  Ah  Cum,  owned  by  Mrs.  Douglas  Murray, 
whose  husband,  having  extensive  interests  in  China,  had 
managed  after  many  years  to  secure  a  true  Palace  dog, 
smuggled  in  a  box  of  hay,  placed  inside  a  crate  which 
contained  Japanese  deer  ! 

Ah  Cum  was  mated  without  delay  to  two  Goodwood  bitches, 
the  result  being,  in  the  first  litters,  Ch.  Goodwood  Lo  and 
Goodwood  Put-Sing.  To  these  three  sires,  some  of  the  bluest 
Pekinese  blood  is  traceable,  vide  Ch.  Goodwood  Chum,  Ch. 
Chu-Erh  of  Alderbourne,  Ch.  Gia-Gia,  Manchu  Tao-Tai, 
Goodwood  Ming,  Marland  Myth,  and  others. 

It  must,  however,  be  clearly  admitted  that  since  the  popu- 
larity of  the  breed  has  become  established  we  unluckily  see 
scores   of   Pekinese   in   the   show-ring   who   have   lost   all 
T 


29o        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

resemblance  to  the  original  type,  and  for  this  the  Pekinese 
Club  is  in  some  measure  to  blame.  The  original  points  for  the 
guidance  of  breeders  and  judges  were  drawn  up  by  Lady 
Samuelson,  Mrs.  Douglas  Murray,  and  Lady  Algernon  Gordon- 
Lennox,  who  fixed  the  maximum  size  at  10  Ib. — a  very  gener- 
ous margin.  Since  then  the  club  has  amended  the  scale  of 
points,  no  doubt  in  order  to  secure  a  larger  membership,  and 
the  maximum  now  stands  at  18  Ib. 

Is  it  therefore  to  be  wondered  at  that  confusion  exists  as  to 
what  is  the  true  type  ?  At  shows  there  should  be  two  distinct 
classes ;  the  Palace  dog  and  the  Pekin  Spaniel,  or  any 
other  name  which  would  enable  the  breeds  to  be  kept 
distinct. 

The  following  is  the  scale  of  points  as  issued  by  the  Pekinese 
Club  :— 

Head — Massive,  broad  skull,  wide  and  flat  between  the  ears  (not 
dome  shaped) ;  wide  between  the  eyes.  Note— Black,  broad,  very 
short  and  flat.  Eyes — Large,  dark,  prominent,  round,  lustrous. 
Stop— Deep.  Ears — Heart-shaped  ;  not  set  too  high  ;  leather  never 
long  enough  to  come  below  the  muzzle ;  not  carried  erect,  but  rather 
drooping,  long  feather.  Muni*— Very  short  and  broad  ;  not  under- 
hung nor  pointed ;  wrinkled.  Mane— Profuse,  extending  beyond 
shoulder  blades,  forming  ruff  or  frill  round  front  of  neck.  Shape  of 
Body — Heavy  in  front ;  broad  chest  falling  away  lighter  behind  ; 
lion-like  ;  not  too  long  in  the  body.  Coat  and  Feather  and  Condition — 
Long,  with  thick  undercoat ;  straight  and  flat,  not  curly  nor  wavy  ; 
rather  coarse  but  soft ;  feather  on  thighs,  legs,  tail  and  toes,  long  and 
profuse.  Colour — All  colours  allowable,  red,  fawn,  black,  black  and 
tan,  sable,  brindle,  white  and  parti-coloured.  Black  masks,  and 
spectacles  round  the  eyes,  with  lines  to  the  ears,  are  desirable.  Legs — 
Short ;  fore-legs  heavy,  bowed  out  at  elbows  ;  hind-legs  lighter,  but 
firm  and  well  shaped.  Feet — Flat,  not  round  ;  should  stand  well  up 
on  toes,  not  on  ankles.  Tail — Curled  and  carried  well  up  on  loins  ; 
long,  profuse  straight  feather.  Size — Being  a  toy  dog  the  smaller  the 
better,  provided  type  and  points  are  not  sacrificed.  Anything  over 
18  Ib.  should  disqualify.  When  divided  by  weight,  classes  should  be 
over  10  Ib.,  and  under  10  Ib.  Action — Free,  strong  and  high  ;  crossing 
feet  or  throwing  them  out  in  running  should  not  take  off  marks  ;  weak- 
ness of  joints  should  be  penalised. 

Lady  Algernon  Gordon-Lennox  has  occasionally  been  criti- 
cised for  her  advocacy  of  whole-coloured  specimens,  but  in 
support  of  this  preference  it  can  be  proved  that  the  original 
pair  brought  to  Goodwood,  as  well  as  Mrs.  Murray's  Ah  Cum, 


THE  PEKINESE  291 

were  all  of  the  golden  chestnut  shade ;  and,  as  no  brindled, 
parti-coloured,  or  black  dog  has  ever  been  born  at  Goodwood 
or  Broughton,  we  have  some  authority  for  looking  upon  whole- 
colour  as  an  important  point.  This  view  was  in  the  first  place 
confirmed  by  the  late  Chinese  Ambassador  in  London,  and 
further  by  Baron  Speck  von  Sternberg,  who  was  for  many 
years  Minister  at  Pekin  and  had  very  special  facilities  for 
noting  the  points  of  the  Palace  dogs. 

In  every  case  a  black  muzzle  is  indispensable,  also  black 
points  to  the  ears,  with  trousers,  tail  and  feathering  a  some- 
what lighter  shade  than  the  body.  There  is  considerable 
divergence  of  opinion  as  to  the  penalisation  of  what,  in  other 
breeds,  is  known  as  a  "  Dudley  "  nose,  but  on  this  point  there 
must  be  some  difficulty  at  shows  ;  in  the  Pekinese  the  colour 
of  the  nose  varies  in  a  remarkable  way,  especially  in  the  case 
of  the  bitches.  For  instance,  a  pinkish  tinge  was  always 
visible  on  the  nose  of  Goodwood  Meh  before  the  birth  of  her 
puppies  ;  but  it  resumed  its  normal  colour  when  the  puppies 
were  a  few  weeks  old.  As  a  representative  type,  Chu-Erh  of 
Alderbourne  resembles  most  nearly  the  old  Goodwood  dogs. 
He  has  the  same  square,  cobby  appearance,  broad  chest, 
bowed  legs,  profuse  feather,  and  large,  lustrous  eyes — points 
which  are  frequently  looked  for  in  vain  nowadays — and  his 
breeder  and  owner  may  well  be  proud  of  him. 

The  Pekinese  differs  from  the  Japanese  dog  in  that  it  appears 
to  be  far  stronger  in  constitution,  and  withstands  the  changes 
of  the  English  climate  with  much  greater  ease  ;  in  fact,  they 
are  as  hardy,  under  healthy  conditions,  as  any  English  breed, 
and  the  only  serious  trouble  seems  to  be  the  weakness  which  is 
developing  in  the  eyes.  Small  abscesses  frequently  appear 
when  the  puppies  are  a  few  months  old,  and,  although  they 
may  not  affect  the  sight,  they  almost  inevitably  leave  a  bluish 
mark,  while  in  some  cases  the  eye  itself  becomes  contracted. 
Whether  this  is  one  of  the  results  of  in-breeding  it  is  difficult 
to  say,  and  it  would  be  of  interest  to  know  whether  the  same 
trouble  is  met  with  in  China. 


292        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  Pekinese  bitches  are  excellent  mothers,  provided  they 
are  not  interfered  with  for  the  first  few  days.  This  was 
discovered  at  Goodwood  years  ago  by  the  fact  that,  on 
two  or  three  occasions,  one  Celestial  lady,  who  had  been  given 
greater  attention  than  she  considered  necessary,  revenged 
herself  by  devouring  her  own  family  of  puppies  !  One  thing 
seems  from  experience  to  be  especially  advisable — as  far  as 
can  be  arranged,  to  breed  in  the  spring  rather  than  autumn. 
The  puppies  need  all  the  open  air  and  exercise  that  is  possible, 
and  where  rickety  specimens  are  so  frequently  met  with  it  is 
only  natural  that  a  puppy  who  starts  life  with  the  summer 
months  ahead  is  more  likely  to  develop  well  than  one  born  in 
the  autumn.  Great  attention  should  be  paid  with  reference 
to  the  frequent — almost  certain — presence  of  worms,  which 
trouble  seems  more  prevalent  with  Pekinese  than  with  any 
other  breed.  Wherever  possible,  fish  should  be  given  as  part 
of  the  dietary  ;  some  Pekinese  devour  it  with  relish  ;  others 
will  not  touch  it,  but  there  is  no  doubt  it  is  a  useful  item  in 
the  bill  of  fare.  Bread  well  soaked  in  very  strong  stock, 
sheep's  head,  and  liver  are  always  better  as  regular  diet  than 
meat,  but  in  cases  of  debility  a  little  raw  meat  given  once  a  day 
is  most  beneficial. 

It  would  not  be  fitting  to  close  an  article  on  Pekinese 
without  bearing  testimony  to  their  extraordinarily  attractive 
characteristics.  They  are  intensely  affectionate  and  faithful, 
and  have  something  almost  cat-like  in  their  domesticity.  They 
display  far  more  character  than  the  so-called  "  toy  dog  " 
usually  does,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  all-important  that  pains 
should  be  taken  to  preserve  the  true  type,  in  a  recognition  of 
the  fact  that  quality  is  more  essential  than  quantity. 

As  their  breed-name  implies,  these  tiny  black  and  white,  long- 
haired lap  dogs  are  reputed  to  be  natives  of  the  land  of  the 
chrysanthemum.  The  Japanese,  who  have  treasured  them 
for  centuries,  have  the  belief  that  they  are  not  less  ancient 
than  the  dogs  of  Malta.  There  seems  to  be  a  probability, 


THE  JAPANESE  293 

however,  that  the  breed  may  claim  to  be  Chinese  just  as  surely 
as  Japanese.  The  Hon.  Mrs.  McLaren  Morrison,  an  authority 
on  exotic  dogs  whose  opinion  must  always  be  taken  with 
respect,  is  inclined  to  the  belief  that  they  are  related  to  the 
short-nosed  Spaniels  of  Thibet ;  while  other  experts  are 
equally  of  opinion  that  the  variety  is  an  offshoot  from  the 
Spaniels  of  Pekin.  It  is  fairly  certain  that  they  are  indigenous 
to  the  Far  East,  whence  we  have  derived  so  many  of  our  small 
snub-nosed,  large-eyed,  and  long-haired  pets.  The  Oriental 
peoples  have  always  bred  their  lap  dogs  to  small  size,  con- 
venient for  carrying  in  the  sleeve.  The  "sleeve  dog  "  and 
the  "  chin  dog  "  are  common  and  appropriate  appellations  in 
the  East. 

The  Japanese  Spaniel  was  certainly  known  in  England  half  a 
century  ago,  and  probably  much  earlier.  Our  seamen  often 
brought  them  home  as  presents  for  their  sweethearts.  These 
early  imported  specimens  were  generally  of  the  larger  kind, 
and  if  they  were  bred  from — which  is  doubtful — it  was  by 
crossing  with  the  already  long-established  King  Charles  or 
Blenheim  Spaniels.  Their  colours  were  not  invariably  white 
and  black.  Many  were  white  and  red,  or  white  with  lemon- 
yellow  patches.  The  colouring  other  than  white  was  usually 
about  the  long-fringed  ears  and  the  crown  of  the  head,  with  a 
line  of  white  running  from  the  point  of  the  snub  black  nose 
between  the  eyes  as  far  as  the  occiput.  This  blaze  up  the  face 
was  commonly  said  to  resemble  the  body  of  a  butterfly, 
whose  closed  wings  were  represented  by  the  dog's  expansive 
ears. 

The  white  and  black  colouring  is  now  the  most  frequent. 
The  points  desired  are  a  broad  and  rounded  skull,  large  in 
proportion  to  the  dog's  body ;  a  wide,  strong  muzzle  and  a 
turned-up  lower  jaw.  Great  length  of  body  is  not  good ; 
the  back  should  be  short  and  level.  The  legs  are  by  pre- 
ference slender  and  much  feathered,  the  feet  large  and  well 
separated.  An  important  point  is  the  coat.  It  should  be 
abundant,  particularly  about  the  neck,  where  it  forms  a  ruffle, 


294        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  it  ought  to  be  quite  straight  and  very  silky.  The  Japanese 
Spaniel  is  constitutionally  delicate,  requiring  considerable  care 
in  feeding.  A  frequent — almost  a  daily — change  of  diet  is  to 
be  recommended,  and  manufactured  foods  are  to  be  avoided. 
Rice  usually  agrees  well ;  fresh  fish,  sheep's  head,  tongue, 
chicken  livers,  milk  or  batter  puddings  are  also  suitable; 
and  occasionally  give  oatmeal  porridge,  alternated  with  a 
little  scraped  raw  meat  as  an  especial  favour.  For  puppies 
newly  weaned  it  is  well  to  limit  the  supply  of  milk  foods  and 
to  avoid  red  meat.  Finely  minced  rabbit,  or  fish  are  better. 

Of  the  Japanese  Spaniels  which  have  recently  been  promi- 
nent in  competition,  may  be  mentioned  Miss  Serena's  Cham- 
pion Fuji  of  Kobe,  a  remarkably  beautiful  bitch,  who  was  under 
5  Ib.  in  weight,  and  who  in  her  brief  life  gained  six  full  cham- 
pionships. Mrs.  Gregson's  Ch.  Tora  of  Braywick,  a  fine 
red  and  white  dog,  somewhat  over  7  Ib.,  is  also  to  be  remem- 
bered as  a  typical  example  of  the  breed,  together  with  Kara, 
the  smallest  Jap  ever  exhibited  or  bred  in  this  country,  weigh- 
ing only  2j  Ib.  when  2j  years  old ;  Lady  Samuelson's  Togo 
and  O'Toyo  of  Braywick,  and  Mrs.  Hull's  Ch.  Daddy  Jap. 

There  has  lately  been  a  tendency  to  lay  too  much  stress  upon 
diminutive  size  in  this  variety  of  the  dog,  to  the  neglect  of 
well-formed  limbs  and  free  movement ;  but  on  the  whole  it 
may  be  stated  with  confidence  that  the  Japanese  is  prosper- 
ing in  England,  thanks  largely  to  the  energetic  work  of  the 
Japanese  Chin  Club,  which  was  formed  some  three  years  ago 
to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  breed. 

The  following  is  the  official  standard  issued  by  the  Club : — 

Head — Should  be  large  for  size  of  animal,  very  broad  and  with  slightly 
rounded  skull.  Muzzle — Strong  and  wide  ;  very  short  from  eyes  to 
nose  ;  upper  jaw  should  look  slightly  turned  up  between  the  eyes  ; 
lower  jaw  should  be  also  turned  up  or  finished  so  as  to  meet  it,  but 
should  the  lower  jaw  be  slightly  underhung  it  is  not  a  blemish  provided 
the  teeth  are  not  shown  in  consequence.  Nose — Very  short  in  the 
muzzle  part.  The  end  or  nose  proper  should  be  wide,  with  open  nostrils, 
and  must  be  the  colour  of  the  dog's  marking,  i.e.,  black  in  black-marked 
dogs,  and  red  or  deep  flesh  colour  in  red  or  lemon  marked  dogs.  Eyes — 
Large,  dark,  lustrous,  rather  prominent,  and  set  wide  apart.  Ears — 
Small  and  V-shaped,  nicely  feathered,  set  wide  apart  and  high  on 


THE  JAPANESE  295 

the  head  and  carried  slightly  forward.  Neck — Should  be  short  and 
moderately  thick.  Body — Very  compact  and  squarely  built,  with  a 
short  back,  rather  wide  chest,  and  of  generally  "  cobby  "  shape.  The 
body  and  legs  should  really  go  into  a  square,  i.e.,  the  length  of  the  dog 
should  be  about  its  height.  Legs — The  bones  of  the  legs  should  be 
small,  giving  them  a  slender  appearance,  and  they  should  be  well 
feathered.  Feet — Small  and  shaped,  somewhat  long ;  the  dog  stands  up 
on  its  toes  somewhat.  If  feathered,  the  tufts  should  never  increase  the 
width  of  the  foot,  but  only  its  length  a  trifle.  Tall — Carried  in  a  tight 
curl  over  the  back.  It  should  be  profusely  feathered  so  as  to  give  the 
appearance  of  a  beautiful  "  plume  "  on  the  animal's  back.  Coat — 
Profuse,  long,  straight,  rather  silky.  It  should  be  absolutely  free  from 
wave  or  curl,  and  not  lie  too  flat,  but  have  a  tendency  to  stand  out, 
especially  at  the  neck,  so  as  to  give  a  thick  mane  or  ruff,  which  with 
profuse  feathering  on  thighs  and  tail  gives  a  very  showy  appearance. 
Colour — Either  black  and  white  or  red  and  white,  i.e.,  parti-coloured. 
The  term  red  includes  all  shades,  sable,  brindle,  lemon  or  orange,  but 
the  brighter  and  clearer  the  red  the  better.  The  white  should  be  clear 
white,  and  the  colour,  whether  black  or  red,  should  be  evenly  dis- 
tributed in  patches  over  the  body,  cheeks,  and  ears.  Height  at  Shoulder 
— About  ten  inches.  Weight — The  size  desirable  is  from  4  Ib.  to  9  Ib. 
The  smaller  size  is  preferable  if  good  shape. 


CHAPTER   XLVI 
THE   MALTESE   DOG   AND  THE   PUG 

No  doubt  has  been  cast  upon  the  belief  that  the  small,  white, 
silky  Cams  Melitaus  is  the  most  ancient  of  all  the  lap  dogs  of 
the  Western  world.  It  was  a  favourite  in  the  time  of  Phidias  ; 
it  was  an  especial  pet  of  the  great  ladies  of  Imperial  Rome. 
It  appears  to  have  come  originally  from  the  Adriatic  island  of 
Melita  rather  than  from  the  Mediterranean  Malta,  although 
this  supposition  cannot  be  verified.  There  is,  however,  no 
question  that  it  is  of  European  origin,  and  that  the  breed,  as 
we  know  it  to-day,  has  altered  exceedingly  little  in  type  and 
size  since  it  was  alluded  to  by  Aristotle  more  than  three  hundred 
years  before  the  Christian  era.  One  may  gather  from  various 
references  in  literature,  and  from  the  evidence  of  art,  that  it 
was  highly  valued  in  ancient  times.  "  When  his  favourite 
dog  dies,"  wrote  Theophrastus  in  illustration  of  the  vain  man, 
"  he  deposits  the  remains  in  a  tomb,  and  erects  a  monument 
over  the  grave,  with  the  inscription, '  Offspring  of  the  stock  of 
Malta.'  " 

The  "  offspring  of  the  stock  of  Malta  "  were  probably  first 
imported  into  England  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 
It  is  certain  that  they  were  regarded  as  "  meet  playfellows 
for  mincing  mistresses  "  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  whose 
physician,  Dr.  Caius,  alluded  to  them  as  being  distinct  from 
the  Spaniel,  "  gentle  or  comforter." 

Early  writers  aver  that  it  was  customary  when  Maltese 
puppies  were  born  to  press  or  twist  the  nasal  bone  with  the 
fingers  "  in  order  that  they  may  seem  more  elegant  in  the  sight 
of  men  " — a  circumstance  which  goes  to  show  that  our  fore- 


THE  MALTESE  DOG  297 

fathers  were  not  averse  to  improving  artificially  the  points  of 
their  dogs. 

The  snowy  whiteness  and  soft,  silky  texture  of  its  coat  must 
always  cause  the  Maltese  dog  to  be  admired  ;  but  the  variety 
has  never  been  commonly  kept  in  England — a  fact  which  is, 
no  doubt,  due  to  the  difficulty  of  breeding  it  and  to  the  trouble 
in  keeping  the  dog's  long  jacket  clean  and  free  from  tangle. 
Thirty  or  forty  years  ago  it  was  more  popular  as  a  lap  dog  than 
it  has  ever  been  since,  and  in  the  early  days  of  dog  shows  many 
beautiful  specimens  were  exhibited.  This  popularity  was 
largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  Mr.  R.  Mandeville,  of  Southwark, 
who  has  been  referred  to  as  virtually  the  founder  of  the  modern 
Maltese.  His  Fido  and  Lily  were  certainly  the  most  perfect 
representatives  of  the  breed  during  the  decade  between  1860 
and  1870,  and  at  the  shows  held  at  Birmingham,  Islington, 
the  Crystal  Palace,  and  Cremorne  Gardens,  this  beautiful 
brace  was  unapproachable. 

It  is  a  breed  which  to  be  kept  in  perfection  requires  more 
than  ordinary  attention,  not  only  on  account  of  its  silky 
jacket,  which  is  peculiarly  liable  to  become  matted,  and  is 
difficult  to  keep  absolutely  clean  without  frequent  washing, 
but  also  on  account  of  a  somewhat  delicate  constitution,  the 
Maltese  being  susceptible  to  colds  and  chills.  If  affected 
by  such  causes,  the  eyes  are  often  attacked,  and  the  water 
running  from  them  induces  a  brown  stain  to  mar  the  beauty 
of  the  face.  Skin  eruptions  due  to  unwise  feeding,  or  para- 
sites due  to  uncleanliness,  are  quickly  destructive  to  the  silky 
coat,  and  constant  watchfulness  is  necessary  to  protect  the 
dog  from  all  occasion  for  scratching.  The  diet  is  an  im- 
portant consideration  always,  and  a  nice  discernment  is 
imperative  in  balancing  the  proportions  of  meat  and  vegetable. 
Too  much  meat  is  prone  to  heat  the  blood,  while  too  little 
induces  eczema.  Scraps  of  bread  and  green  vegetables  well 
mixed  with  gravy  and  finely-minced  lean  meat  form  the  best 
dietary  for  the  principal  meal  of  the  day,  and  plenty  of 
exercise  is  imperative. 


298        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  following  is  the  standard  description  and  points  of  the 
Maltese  Club  of  London  : — 

Head — Should  not  be  too  narrow,  but  should  be  of  a  Terrier  shape, 
not  too  long,  but  not  apple-headed.  Ears — Should  be  long  and  well 
feathered,  and  hang  close  to  the  side  of  the  head,  the  hair  to  be  wi-11 
mingled  with  the  coat  at  the  shoulders.  Eyes — Should  be  a  dark 
brown,  with  black  eye  rims  and  not  too  far  apart.  Nose — Should  be 
pure  black.  Legs  and  Feet — Legs  should  be  short  and  straight,  feet 
round,  and  the  pads  of  the  feet  should  be  black.  Body  and  Shape — 
Should  be  short  and  cobby,  low  to  the  ground,  and  the  back  should  be 
straight  from  the  top  of  the  shoulders  to  the  tail.  Tail  and  Carriage — 
Should  be  well  arched  over  the  back  and  well  feathered.  Coat,  Length 
and  Texture — Should  be  a  good  length,  the  longer  the  better,  of  a  silky 
texture,  not  in  any  way  woolly,  and  should  be  straight.  Colour — 
It  is  desirable  that  they  should  be  pure  white,  but  slight  lemon  marks 
should  not  count  against  them.  Condition  and  Appearance — Should 
be  of  a  sharp  Terrier  appearance,  with  a  lively  action,  the  coat  should 
not  be  stained,  but  should  be  well  groomed  in  every  way.  Size — The 
most  approved  weights  should  be  from  4  Ib.  to  9  lb.,  the  smaller  the 
better,  but  it  is  desirable  that  they  should  not  exceed  10  lb. 

There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  fawn-coloured  Pug 
enjoys  the  antiquity  of  descent  that  is  attached  to  the  Grey- 
hound, the  Maltese  dog,  and  some  few  other  venerable  breeds. 

Although  much  has  been  written  on  the  origin  of  these 
dogs,  nothing  authentic  has  been  discovered  in  connection  with 
it.  Statements  have  appeared  from  time  to  time  to  the  effect 
that  the  Pug  was  brought  into  this  country  from  Holland. 
In  the  early  years  of  the  last  century  it  was  commonly  styled 
the  Dutch  Pug.  But  this  theory  does  not  trace  the  history 
far  enough  back,  and  it  should  be  remembered  that  at  that 
period  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  was  in  constant  com- 
munication with  the  Far  East.  Others  declare  that  Muscovy 
was  the  original  home  of  the  breed,  a  supposition  for  which 
there  is  no  discernible  foundation.  The  study  of  canine 
history  receives  frequent  enlightenment  from  the  study  of  the 
growth  of  commercial  intercourse  between  nations,  and  the 
trend  of  events  would  lead  one  to  the  belief  that  the  Pug  had 
its  origin  in  China,  particularly  in  view  of  the  fact  that  it  is 
with  that  country  that  most  of  the  blunt-nosed  toy  dogs, 
with  tails  curled  over  their  backs,  are  associated. 


THE  PUG  299 

The  Pug  was  brought  into  prominence  in  Great  Britain 
about  sixty  years  ago  by  Lady  Willoughby  de  Eresby,  of 
Grimthorpe,  near  Lincoln,  and  Mr.  Morrison,  of  Walham 
Green,  who  each  independently  established  a  kennel  of  these 
dogs,  with  such  success  that  eventually  the  fawn  Pugs  were 
spoken  of  as  either  the  Willoughby  or  the  Morrison  Pugs. 
At  that  period  the  black  variety  was  not  known.  The 
Willoughby  Pug  was  duller  in  colour  than  the  Morrison, 
which  was  of  a  brighter,  ruddier  hue,  but  the  two  varieties 
have  since  been  so  much  interbred  that  they  are  now  un- 
distinguishable,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  ever  familiarly 
recognised  as  either  Willoughbys  or  Morrisons  is  almost 
entirely  forgotten.  A  "  fawn  "  Pug  may  now  be  either  silver 
grey  or  apricot,  and  equally  valuable. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  history  of  the  Pug  as  regards 
its  nativity,  it  had  not  been  long  introduced  into  England 
before  it  became  a  popular  favourite  as  a  pet,  and  it  shared 
with  the  King  Charles  Spaniel  the  affection  of  the  great 
ladies  of  the  land.  The  late  Queen  Victoria  possessed  one, 
of  which  she  was  very  proud.  The  Pug  has,  however,  now 
fallen  from  his  high  estate  as  a  ladies'  pet,  and  his  place  has 
been  usurped  by  the  Toy  Pomeranian,  the  Pekinese,  and 
Japanese,  all  of  which  are  now  more  highly  thought  of  in 
the  drawing-room  or  boudoir.  But  the  Pug  has  an  advantage 
over  all  these  dogs  as,  from  the  fact  that  he  has  a  shorter  coat, 
he  is  cleaner  and  does  not  require  so  much  attention. 

It  was  not  until  the  establishment  of  the  Pug  Dog  Club  in 
1883  that  a  fixed  standard  of  points  was  drawn  up  for  the 
guidance  of  judges  when  awarding  the  prizes  to  Pugs.  Later 
on  the  London  and  Provincial  Pug  Club  was  formed,  and 
standards  of  points  were  drawn  up  by  that  society.  These, 
however,  have  never  been  adhered  to.  The  weight  of  a 
dog  or  bitch,  according  to  the  standard,  should  be  from 
13  Ib.  to  17  lb.,  but  there  are  very  few  dogs  indeed  that  are 
winning  prizes  who  can  draw  the  scale  at  the  maximum 
weight.  One  of  the  most  distinctive  features  of  a  fawn  Pug 


300        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

is  the  trace,  which  is  a  line  of  black  running  along  the  top 
of  the  back  from  the  occiput  to  the  tail.  It  is  the  exception 
to  find  a  fawn  Pug  with  any  trace  at  all  now.  The  muzzle 
should  be  short,  blunt,  but  not  upfaced.  Most  of  the  winning 
Pugs  of  the  present  day  are  undershot  at  least  half  an  inch, 
and  consequently  must  be  upfaced.  Only  one  champion  of 
the  present  day  possesses  a  level  mouth.  The  toe-nails 
should  be  black  according  to  the  standard,  but  this  point 
is  ignored  altogether.  In  fact,  the  standard,  as  drawn  up  by 
the  Club,  should  be  completely  revised,  for  it  is  no  true  guide. 
The  colour,  which  should  be  either  silver  or  apricot  fawn  ; 
the  markings  on  the  head,  which  should  show  a  thumb- 
mark  or  diamond  on  the  forehead,  together  with  the  orthodox 
size,  are  not  now  taken  into  consideration,  and  the  prizes  are 
given  to  over-sized  dogs  with  big  skulls  that  are  patchy  in 
colour,  and  the  charming  little  Pugs  which  were  once  so  highly 
prized  are  now  the  exception  rather  than  the  rule,  while  the 
large,  lustrous  eyes,  so  sympathetic  in  their  expression,  are 
seldom  seen. 

The  black  Pug  is  a  recent  production.  He  was  brought 
into  notice  in  1886,  when  Lady  Brassey  exhibited  some  at  the 
Maidstone  Show.  By  whom  he  was  manufactured  is  not  a 
matter  of  much  importance,  as  with  the  fawn  Pug  in  existence 
there  was  not  much  difficulty  in  crossing  it  with  the  shortest- 
faced  black  dog  of  small  size  that  could  be  found,  and  then  back 
again  to  the  fawn,  and  the  thing  was  done.  Fawn  and  black 
Pugs  are  continually  being  bred  together,  and,  as  a  rule,  if 
judgment  is  used  in  the  selection  of  suitable  crosses,  the  puppies 
are  sound  in  colour,  whether  fawn  or  black.  In  every  respect 
except  markings  the  black  Pug  should  be  built  on  the  same 
lines  as  the  fawn,  and  be  a  cobby  little  dog  with  short  back  and 
well-developed  hind-quarters,  wide  in  skull,  with  square  and 
blunt  muzzle  and  tightly-curled  tail. 


CHAPTER   XLVII 
THE    BRUSSELS   GRIFFON 

AWAY  back  in  the  'seventies  numbers  of  miners  in  Yorkshire 
and  the  Midlands  are  said  to  have  possessed  little  wiry- 
coated  and  wiry-dispositioned  red  dogs,  which  accompanied 
their  owners  to  work,  being  stowed  away  in  pockets  of  over- 
coats until  the  dinner  hour,  when  they  were  brought  out 
to  share  their  masters'  meals,  perchance  chasing  a  casual 
rat  in  between  times.  Old  men  of  to-day  who  remember  these 
little  "  red  tamers  "  tell  us  that  they  were  the  originals  of  the 
present-day  Brussels  Griffons,  and  to  the  sporting  propensities 
of  the  aforesaid  miners  is  attributed  the  gameness  which  is 
such  a  characteristic  of  their  latter-day  representatives. 

No  one  who  is  well  acquainted  with  the  Brussels  Griffon 
would  claim  that  the  breed  dates  back,  like  the  Greyhound, 
to  hoary  antiquity,  or,  indeed,  that  it  has  any  pretensions 
to  have  "  come  over  with  the  Conqueror."  The  dog  is  not 
less  worthy  of  admiration  on  that  account.  It  is  futile  to 
inquire  too  closely  into  his  ancestry  ;  like  Topsy,  "  he  growed  " 
and  we  must  love  him  for  himself  alone. 

Even  in  the  last  fifteen  years  we  can  trace  a  certain  advance 
in  the  evolution  of  the  Brussels  Griffon.  When  the  breed 
was  first  introduced  under  this  name  into  this  country,  under- 
jaw  was  accounted  of  little  or  no  importance,  whereas  now  a 
prominent  chin  is  rightly  recognised  as  being  one  of  the  most 
important  physical  characteristics  of  the  race.  Then,  again, 
quite  a  few  years  ago  a  Griffon  with  a  red  pin-wire  coat 
was  rarely  met  with,  but  now  this  point  has  been  generally 
rectified,  and  every  show  specimen  of  any  account  whatever 
possesses  the  much-desired  covering. 

301 


302        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  first  authentic  importations  of  Brussels  Griffons  into 
this  country  were  made  by  Mrs.  Kingscote,  Miss  Adela  Gordon, 
Mrs.  Frank  Pearce,  and  Fletcher,  who  at  that  time  (circa  1894) 
kept  a  dog-shop  in  Regent  Street.  Mrs.  Handley  Spicer 
soon  followed,  and  it  was  at  her  house  that,  in  1896,  the 
Griffon  Bruxellois  Club  was  first  suggested  and  then  formed. 
The  Brussels  Griffon  Club  of  London  was  a  later  offshoot  of 
this  club,  and,  like  many  children,  would  appear  to  be  more 
vigorous  than  its  parent.  Griffons  soon  made  their  appear- 
ance at  shows  and  won  many  admirers,  though  it  must  be 
admitted  that  their  progress  up  the  ladder  of  popularity 
was  not  so  rapid  as  might  have  been  expected.  The  breed  is 
especially  attractive  in  the  following  points :  It  is  hardy, 
compact,  portable,  very  intelligent,  equally  smart  and  alert 
in  appearance,  affectionate,  very  companionable,  and,  above 
all,  it  possesses  the  special  characteristic  of  wonderful  eyes, 
ever  changing  in  expression,  and  compared  with  which  the 
eyes  of  many  other  toy  breeds  appear  as  a  glass  bead  to  a 
fathomless  lake. 

Griffons  are  hardy  little  dogs,  though,  like  most  others, 
they  are  more  susceptible  to  damp  than  to  cold.  While  not 
greedy,  like  the  Terrier  tribe,  they  are  usually  good  feeders 
and  good  doers,  and  not  tiresomely  dainty  with  regard  to  food, 
as  is  so  often  the  case  with  Toy  Spaniels.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  Griffons  are  not  the  easiest  of  dogs  to  rear,  particularly 
at  weaning  time.  From  five  to  eight  weeks  is  always  a  critical 
period  in  the  puppy  hood  of  a  Griffon,  and  it  is  necessary  to 
supersede  their  maternal  nourishment  with  extreme  caution. 
Farinaceous  foods  do  not  answer,  and  usually  cause  trouble 
sooner  or  later.  A  small  quantity  of  scraped  raw  beef — an 
eggspoonful  at  four  weeks,  increasing  to  a  teaspoonful  at 
six — may  be  given  once  a  day,  and  from  four  to  five  weeks 
two  additional  meals  of  warm  milk — goat's  for  preference — 
and  not  more  than  a  tablespoonful  at  a  time  should  be  given. 
From  five  to  six  weeks  the  mother  will  remain  with  the 
puppies  at  night  only,  and  three  milk  meals  may  be  given 


THE  BRUSSELS  GRIFFON  303 

during  the  day,  with  one  of  scraped  meat,  at  intervals  of 
about  four  hours,  care  being  taken  to  give  too  little  milk 
rather  than  too  much.  At  six  weeks  the  puppies  may  usually 
be  taken  entirely  from  the  mother,  and  at  this  time  it  is 
generally  advisable  to  give  a  gentle  vermifuge,  such  as  Ruby. 
A  very  little  German  rusk  may  also  be  added  to  the  milk 
meals,  which  may  be  increased  to  one  and  a-half  tablespoon- 
fuls  at  a  time,  but  it  must  always  be  remembered  that,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  trouble  is  caused  by  overfeeding  rather  than 
underfeeding,  and  until  the  rubicon  of  eight  weeks  has  been 
passed,  care  and  oversight  should  be  unremitting.  At  eight 
weeks'  old,  Force  or  brown  breadcrumbs  may  be  added  to  the 
morning  milk,  chopped  meat  may  be  given  instead  of  scraped  at 
midday,  the  usual  milk  at  tea-time,  and  a  dry  biscuit,  such 
as  Plasmon,  for  supper.  At  ten  weeks  old  the  milk  at  tea- 
time  may  be  discontinued  and  the  other  meals  increased  ac- 
cordingly, and  very  little  further  trouble  need  be  feared,  for 
Griffons  very  rarely  suffer  from  teething  troubles. 

Brussels  Griffons  are  divided  into  three  groups,  according 
to  their  appearance,  and  representatives  of  each  group  may 
be,  and  sometimes  are,  found  in  one  and  the  same  litter. 
First  and  foremost,  both  in  importance  and  in  beauty,  comes 
the  Griffon  Bruxellois,  a  cobby,  compact  little  dog,  with  wiry 
red  coat,  large  eyes,  short  nose,  well  turned  up,  and  sloping 
back,  very  prominent  chin,  and  small  ears.  Secondly  come 
the  Griffons  of  any  other  colour,  or,  as  they  are  termed  in 
Brussels,  Griffons  Beiges.  These  are  very  often  Griffons  of  the 
usual  colour,  with  a  mismark  of  white  or  black,  or  occasionally 
they  may  be  grey  or  fawn.  But  the  most  approved  colour, 
and  certainly  the  most  attractive,  is  black  and  tan.  The 
third  group  of  Brussels  Griffons  is  that  termed  "  smooth," 
or,  in  Brussels,  Griffons  Brabancons.  The  smooth  Griffon  is 
identical  with  the  rough  in  all  points  except  for  being  short- 
haired.  As  is  well  known,  smooth  Griffons  are  most  useful 
for  breeding  rough  ones  with  the  desired  hard  red  coat,  and 
many  well-known  show  dogs  with  rough  coats  have  been  bred 


304        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

from  smooth  ones :  for  example,  Sparklets,  Ch.  Copthorne 
Lobster,  Ch.  Copthorne  Treasure,  Ch.  Copthorne  Talk-o'- 
the-Town,  and  Copthorne  Blunderbuss.  This  and  many  other 
facts  in  connection  with  breeding  Griffons  will  be  learnt 
from  experience,  always  the  best  teacher. 
The  descriptive  particulars  of  the  Brussels  Griffon  are : — 

Central  Appearance — A  lady's  little  dog — intelligent,  sprightly,  robust, 
of  compact  appearance — reminding  one  of  a  cob,  and  captivating  the 
attention  by  a  quasi-human  expression.  Head — Hounded,  furnished 
with  somewhat  hard,  irregular  hairs,  longer  round  the  eyes,  on  the 
nose  and  cheeks.  Ear* — Erect  when  cropped  as  in  Belgium,  semi- 
erect  when  uncropped.  Eyes — Very  large,  black,  or  nearly  black  ; 
eyelids  edged  with  black,  eyelashes  long  and  black,  eyebrows  covered 
with  hairs,  leaving  the  eye  they  encircle  perfectly  uncovered.  Nose — 
Always  black,  short,  surrounded  with  hair  converging  upward  to  meet 
those  which  surround  the  eyes.  Very  pronounced  stop.  Lips — 
Edged  with  black,  furnished  with  a  moustache.  A  little  black  in  the 
moustache  is  not  a  fault.  Chin — Prominent  without  showing  the  teeth, 
and  edged  with  a  small  beard.  Chest — Rather  wide  and  deep.  Left — 
As  straight  as  possible,  of  medium  length.  Tall — Erect,  and  docked  to 
two-thirds.  Colour — In  the  Griffons  Bruzellois,  red  ;  in  the  Griffons 
Beiges,  preferably  black  and  tan,  but  also  grey  or  fawn  ;  in  the  Petit 
Brabancon,  red  or  black  and  tan.  Texture  of  Coal — Harsh  and  wiry, 
irregular,  rather  long  and  thick.  In  the  Braban9on  it  is  smooth 
and  short.  Weljht — Light  weight,  5  Ib.  maximum ;  and  heavy 
weight,  9  Ib.  maximum.  Faults — The  faults  to  be  avoided  are  light 
eyes,  silky  hair  on  the  head,  brown  nails,  teeth  showing,  a  hanging 
tongue  or  a  brown  nose. 


Photograph  by  Russell 
TOY    DOGS 

1.  MRS,  GRESHAM'S  PUG    CH.  GRINDLEY  KING 

2.  MRS.    T.    WHALKY'S    BRUSSELS    GRIFFON     GLENARTNEY 

SPORT 

3.  PEKINESE  CH.  CHU-ERH  OF  ALDERBOURNE 


CHAPTER    XLVIII 
THE   MINIATURE   BREEDS 

EXCEPT  in  the  matter  of  size,  the  general  appearance  and 
qualifications  of  the  Miniature  Black  and  Tan  Terrier  should  be 
as  nearly  like  the  larger  breed  as  possible,  for  the  standard  of 
points  applies  to  both  varieties,  excepting  that  erect,  or  what 
are  commonly  known  as  tulip  ears,  of  semi-erect  carriage,  are 
permissible  in  the  miniatures.  The  officially  recognised  weight 
for  the  toy  variety  is  given  as  "  under  seven  pounds,"  but  none 
of  the  most  prominent  present-day  winners  reach  anything 
like  that  weight ;  some  in  fact  are  little  more  than  half  of  it, 
and  the  great  majority  are  between  4  Ib.  and  5  Ib. 

Probably  the  most  popular  specimens  of  the  miniature 
Black  and  Tan  at  the  present  time  are  Mr.  Whaley's  Glenart- 
ney  Sport  and  Mr.  Richmond's  Merry  Atom.  Merry  Atom  is 
only  4J  Ib.  in  weight,  and  he  is  beautifully  proportioned,  with 
a  fine,  long  head,  a  small,  dark  eye,  small  ears,  and  the  true 
type  of  body.  His  markings  of  deep  black  and  rich  tan  are 
good,  and  his  coat  is  entirely  free  from  the  bare  patches  which 
so  often  mar  the  appearance  of  these  toys,  giving  the 
suggestion  of  delicacy. 

The  Miniature  Black  and  Tan  is  certainly  not  a  robust  dog, 
and  he  has  lost  much  of  the  terrier  boisterousness  of  character 
by  reason  of  being  pampered  and  coddled  ;  but  it  is  a  fallacy 
to  suppose  that  he  is  necessarily  delicate.  He  requires  to  be 
kept  warm,  but  exercise  is  better  for  him  than  eiderdown  quilts 
and  silken  cushions,  and  judicious  feeding  will  protect  him  from 
the  skin  diseases  to  which  he  is  believed  to  be  liable.  Under 
proper  treatment  he  is  no  more  delicate  than  any  other  toy 
u  305 


306        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

dog,  and  his  engaging  manners  and  cleanliness  of  habit  ought 
to  place  him  among  the  most  favoured  of  lady's  pets  and  lap- 
dogs.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  efforts  now  being  made 
by  the  Black  and  Tan  Terrier  Club  will  be  beneficial  to  the 
increased  popularity  of  this  diminutive  breed. 

For  the  technical  description  and  scale  of  points  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  chapter  on  the  larger  variety  of  Black  and 
Tan  Terrier  (see  p.  196). 

Of  late  years  Toy  Bull-terriers  have  fallen  in  popularity. 
This  is  a  pity,  as  their  lilliputian  self-assertion  is  most  amusing. 
As  pets  they  are  most  affectionate,  excellent  as  watch-dogs, 
clever  at  acquiring  tricks,  and  always  cheerful  and  com- 
panionable. They  have  good  noses  and  will  hunt  diligently  ; 
but  wet  weather  or  thick  undergrowth  will  deter  them,  and 
they  are  too  small  to  do  serious  harm  to  the  best  stocked  game 
preserve. 

The  most  valuable  Toy  Bull-terriers  are  small  and  very  light 
in  weight,  and  these  small  dogs  usually  have  "  apple-heads." 
Pony  Queen,  the  former  property  of  Sir  Raymond  Tyrwhitt 
Wilson,  weighed  under  3  lb.,  but  the  breed  remains  "  toy  " 
up  to  15  lb.  When  you  get  a  dog  with  a  long  wedge-shaped 
head,  the  latter  in  competition  with  small  "  apple-headed  " 
dogs  always  takes  the  prize,  and  a  slightly  contradictory  state 
of  affairs  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  small  dog  with  an 
imperfectly  shaped  head  will  sell  for  more  money  than  a  dog 
with  a  perfectly  shaped  head  which  is  larger. 

In  drawing  up  a  show  schedule  of  classes  for  this  breed 
it  is  perhaps  better  to  limit  the  weight  of  competitors  to  12 
lb.  .-The  Bull-terrier  Club  put  15  lb.  as  the  lowest  weight 
allowed  for  the  large  breed,  and  it  seems  a  pity  to  have 
an  interregnum  between  the  large  and  miniature  variety ; 
still,  in  the  interests  of  the  small  valuable  specimens,  this 
seems  inevitable,  and  opportunist  principles  must  be  applied 
to  doggy  matters  as  to  other  business  in  this  world.  At 
present  there  is  a  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  their  points,  but 


THE  MINIATURE  BREEDS  307 

roughly  they  are  a  long  flat  head,  wide  between  the  eyes  and 
tapering  to  the  nose,  which  should  be  black.  Ears  erect  and 
bat-like,  straight  legs  and  rather  distinctive  feet ;  some 
people  say  these  are  cat-like. 

Toy  Bull-terriers  ought  to  have  an  alert,  gay  appearance, 
coupled  with  refinement,  which  requires  a  nice  whip  tail. 
The  best  colour  is  pure  white.  A  brindle  spot  is  not  amiss, 
and  even  a  brindle  dog  is  admissible,  but  black  marks  are 
wrong.  The  coat  ought  to  be  close  and  stiff  to  the  touch. 
Toy  Bull-terriers  are  not  delicate  as  a  rule.  They  require 
warmth  and  plenty  of  exercise  in  all  weathers. 

The  most  elegant,  graceful,  and  refined  of  all  dogs  are  the 
tiny  Italian  Greyhounds.  Their  exquisitely  delicate  lines, 
their  supple  movements  and  beautiful  attitudes,  their  soft 
large  eyes,  their  charming  colouring,  their  gentle  and  loving 
nature,  and  their  scrupulous  cleanliness  of  habit — all  these 
qualities  justify  the  admiration  bestowed  upon  them  as  draw- 
ing-room pets.  They  are  fragile,  it  is  true — fragile  as  egg- 
shell china — not  to  be  handled  roughly.  But  their  constitu- 
tion is  not  necessarily  delicate,  and  many  have  been  known  to 
live  to  extreme  old  age.  Miss  Mackenzie's  Jack,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  breed  ever  known,  lived  to  see  his 
seventeenth  birthday,  and  even  then  was  strong  and  healthy. 
Their  fragility  is  more  apparent  than  real,  and  if  they  are  not 
exposed  to  cold  or  damp,  they  require  less  pampering  than 
they  usually  receive.  This  cause  has  been  a  frequent  source 
of  constitutional  weakness,  and  it  was  deplorably  a  fault  in 
the  Italian  Greyhounds  of  half  a  century  ago. 

One  cannot  be  quite  certain  as  to  the  derivation  of  the  Italian 
Greyhound.  Its  physical  appearance  naturally  suggests  a 
descent  from  the  Gazehound  of  the  ancients,  with  the  added 
conjecture  that  it  was  purposely  dwarfed  for  the  convenience 
of  being  nursed  in  the  lap.  Greek  art  presents  many  examples 
of  a  very  small  dog  of  Greyhound  type,  and  there  is  a  pro- 
bability that  the  diminutive  breed  was  a  familiar  ornament 


308        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

in  the  atrium  of  most  Roman  villas.  In  Pompeii  a  dwarfed 
Greyhound  was  certainly  kept  as  a  domestic  pet,  and  there  is 
therefore  some  justification  for  the  belief  that  the  Italian 
prefix  is  not  misplaced. 

In  very  early  times  the  Italian  Greyhound  was  appreciated. 
Vandyck,  Kneller,  and  Watteau  frequently  introduced  the 
graceful  figures  of  these  dogs  as  accessories  in  their  portraits 
of  the  Court  beauties  of  their  times,  and  many  such  portraits 
may  be  noticed  in  the  galleries  of  Windsor  Castle  and  Hampton 
Court.  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots  is  supposed  to  have  been  fond 
of  the  breed,  as  more  surely  were  Charles  I.  and  Queen  Anne. 
Some  of  the  best  of  their  kind  were  in  the  possession  of  Queen 
Victoria  at  Windsor  and  Balmoral,  where  Sir  Edwin  Landseer 
transferred  their  graceful  forms  to  canvas. 

Among  the  more  prominent  owners  of  the  present  time  are 
the  Baroness  Campbell  von  Laurentz,  whose  Rosemead  Laura 
and  Una  are  of  superlative  merit  alike  in  outline,  colour* 
style,  length  of  head,  and  grace  of  action  ;  Mrs.  Florence 
Scarlett,  whose  Svelta,  Saltarello,  and  Sola  are  almost  equally 
perfect ;  Mrs.  Matthews,  the  owner  of  Ch.  Signor,  our  smallest 
and  most  elegant  show  dog ;  and  Mr.  Charlwood,  who  has 
exhibited  many  admirable  specimens,  among  them  Sussex 
Queen  and  Sussex  Princess. 

The  Italian  Greyhound  Club  of  England  has  drawn  up  the 
following  standard  and  scale  of  points  : — 

General  Appearance — A  miniature  English  Greyhound,  more  slender 
in  all  proportions,  and  of  ideal  elegance  and  grace  in  shape,  symmetry, 
and  action.  Head — Skull  long,  flat  and  narrow.  Muzzle  very  fine. 
Nose  dark  in  colour.  Ears  rose  shaped,  placed  well  back,  soft  and 
delicate,  and  should  touch  or  nearly  touch  behind  the  head.  Eyes 
large,  bright,  and  full  of  expression.  Body — Neck  long  and  gracefully 
arched.  Shoulders  long  and  sloping.  Back  curved  and  drooping  at  the 
quarters.  Legs  and  Feet — Fore-legs  straight,  well  set  under  the 
shoulder  ;  fine  pasterns  ;  small  delicate  bone.  Hind-legs,  hocks  well 
let  down;  thighs  muscular.  Feet  long — hare  foot.  Tall,  Coat  and 
Colour — Tail  rather  long  and  with  low  carriage.  Skin  fine  and  supple. 
Hair  thin  and  glossy  like  satin.  Preferably  self-coloured.  The  colour 
most  prized  is  golden  fawn,  but  all  shades  of  fawn — red,  mouse,  cream 
and  white — are  recognised.  Blacks,  brindles  and  pied  are  considered 


THE  MINIATURE  BREEDS  309 

less     desirable.     Action — High     stepping     and     free.     Weight — Two 
classes,  one  of  8  Ib.  and  under,  the  other  over  8  Ib. 

The  diminutive  Shetland  Sheepdog  has  many  recommenda- 
tions as  a  pet.  Like  the  sturdy  little  Shetland  pony,  this  dog 
has  not  been  made  small  by  artificial  selection.  It  is  a  Collie 
in  miniature,  no  larger  than  a  Pomeranian,  and  it  is  perfectly 
hardy,  wonderfully  sagacious,  and  decidedly  beautiful.  At 
first  glance  the  dog  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  a  Belgian 
Butterfly  dog,  for  its  ears  are  somewhat  large  and  upstanding, 
with  a  good  amount  of  feather  about  them  ;  but  upon  closer 
acquaintance  the  Collie  shape  and  nature  become  more 
pronounced. 

The  body  is  long  and  set  low,  on  stout,  short  legs,  which  end 
in  long-shaped,  feathered  feet.  The  tail  is  a  substantial  brush, 
beautifully  carried,  and  the  coat  is  long  and  inclined  to 
silkiness,  with  a  considerable  neck-frill.  The  usual  weight  is 
from  six  to  ten  pounds,  the  dog  being  of  smaller  size  than 
the  bitch.  The  prettiest  are  all  white,  or  white  with  rich 
sable  markings,  but  many  are  black  and  tan  or  all  black. 
The  head  is  short  and  the  face  not  so  aquiline  as  that  of 
the  large  Collie.  The  eyes  are  well  proportioned  to  the 
size  of  the  head,  and  have  a  singularly  soft  round  brightness, 
reminding  one  of  the  eye  of  a  woodcock  or  a  snipe. 

The  Shetlanders  use  them  with  the  sheep,  and  they  are 
excellent  little  workers,  intelligent  and  very  active,  and  as 
hardy  as  terriers.  Dog  lovers  in  search  of  novelty  might  do 
worse  than  take  up  this  attractive  and  certainly  genuine  breed. 


CHAPTER  XLIX 
PRACTICAL   MANAGEMENT 

MANY  people  are  deterred  from  keeping  dogs  by  the  belief 
that  the  hobby  is  expensive  and  that  it  entails  a  profitless 
amount  of  trouble  and  anxiety ;  but  to  the  true  dog-lover 
the  anxiety  and  trouble  are  far  outbalanced  by  the  pleasures 
of  possession,  and  as  to  the  expense,  that  is  a  matter  which  can 
be  regulated  at  will.  A  luxuriously  appointed  kennel  of 
valuable  dogs,  who  are  pampered  into  sickness,  may,  indeed, 
become  a  serious  drain  upon  the  owner's  banking  account, 
but  if  managed  on  business  principles  the  occupation  is  capable 
of  yielding  a  very  respectable  income.  One  does  not  wish 
to  see  dog-keeping  turned  into  a  profession,  and  there  seems 
to  be  something  mean  in  making  money  by  our  pets  ;  but  the 
process  of  drafting  is  necessary  when  the  kennel  is  overstocked, 
and  buying  and  selling  are  among  the  interesting  accessories 
of  the  game,  second  only  to  the  pleasurable  excitement  of 
submitting  one's  favourites  to  the  judgment  of  the  show-ring. 
The  delights  of  breeding  and  rearing  should  be  their  own 
reward,  as  they  usually  are,  yet  something  more  than  mere 
pin-money  can  be  made  by  the  alert  amateur  who  possesses 
a  kennel  of  acknowledged  merit,  and  who  knows  how  to  turn 
it  to  account.  A  champion  ought  easily  to  earn  his  own 
living  :  some  are  a  source  of  handsome  revenue. 

Occasionally  one  hears  of  very  high  prices  being  paid  for 
dogs  acknowledged  to  be  perfect  specimens  of  their  breed. 
For  the  St.  Bernard  Sir  Belvidere  sixteen  hundred  pounds 
were  offered.  Plinlimmon  was  sold  for  a  thousand,  the  same 
sum  that  was  paid  for  the  Bulldog  Rodney  Stone.  For  the 

310 


PRACTICAL  MANAGEMENT  311 

Collies  Southport  Perfection  and  Ormskirk  Emerald  Mr 
Megson  paid  a  thousand  sovereigns  each.  Size  is  no  criterion 
of  a  dog's  market  value  ;  Mrs.  Ashton  Cross  is  said  to  have 
refused  two  thousand  pounds  for  her  celebrated  Pekinese 
Chu  Erh,  and  there  are  many  lap-dogs  now  living  that  could 
not  be  purchased  for  that  high  price.  These  are  sums  which 
only  a  competent  judge  with  a  long  purse  would  dream  of 
paying  for  an  animal  whose  tenure  of  active  life  can  hardly  be 
more  than  eight  or  ten  years,  and  already  the  dog's  value 
must  have  been  attested  by  his  success  in  competition.  It 
requires  an  expert  eye  to  perceive  the  potentialities  of  a 
puppy,  and  there  is  always  an  element  of  speculative  risk  for 
both  buyer  and  seller.  Many  a  dog  that  has  been  sold  for  a 
song  has  grown  to  be  a  famous  champion.  At  Cruft's  show 
in  1905  the  Bulldog  Mahomet  was  offered  for  ten  pounds. 
No  one  was  bold  enough  to  buy  him,  yet  eighteen  monthi 
afterwards  he  was  sold  and  considered  cheap  at  a  thousand. 
Uncertainty  adds  zest  to  a  hobby  that  is  in  itself  engaging. 

Thanks  to  the  influence  of  the  Kennel  Club  and  the  institu- 
tion of  dog  shows,  which  have  encouraged  the  improvement  of 
distinct  breeds,  there  are  fewer  nondescript  mongrels  in  our 
midst  than  there  were  a  generation  or  so  ago.  A  fuller 
knowledge  has  done  much  to  increase  the  pride  which  the 
British  people  take  in  their  canine  companions,  and  our 
present  population  of  dogs  has  never  been  equalled  for  good 
quality  in  any  other  age  or  any  other  land. 

The  beginner  cannot  easily  go  wrong  or  be  seriously  cheated, 
but  it  is  well  when  making  a  first  purchase  to  take  the  advice 
of  an  expert  and  to  be  very  certain  of  the  dog's  pedigree,  age, 
temper,  and  condition.  The  approved  method  of  buying  a 
dog  is  to  select  one  advertised  for  sale  in  the  weekly  journals 
devoted  to  the  dog.  A  better  way  still,  if  a  dog  of  distin- 
guished pedigree  is  desired,  is  to  apply  direct  to  a  well-known 
owner  of  the  required  breed,  or  to  visit  one  of  the  great  annual 
shows,  such  as  Cruft's,  Manchester,  The  Ladies'  Kennel 
Association,  The  Kennel  Club  (Crystal  Palace,  in  October), 


312        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  Scottish  Kennel  Club,  or  Birmingham,  and  there  choose 
the  dog  from  the  benches,  buying  him  at  his  catalogue  price. 

In  determining  the  choice  of  a  breed  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  some  are  better  watchdogs  than  others,  some  more 
docile,  some  safer  with  children.  The  size  of  the  breed  should 
be  relative  to  the  accommodation  available.  To  have  a  St. 
Bernard  or  a  Great  Dane  galumphing  about  a  small  house  is 
an  inconvenience,  and  sporting  dogs  which  require  constant 
exercise  and  freedom  are  not  suited  to  the  confined  life  of  a 
Bloomsbury  flat.  Nor  are  the  long-haired  breeds  at  their 
best  draggling  round  in  the  wet,  muddy  streets  of  a  city. 
For  town  life  the  clean-legged  Terrier,  the  Bulldog,  the  Pug, 
and  the  Schipperke  are  to  be  preferred.  Bitches  are  cleaner 
in  the  house  and  more  tractable  than  dogs.  The  idea  that 
they  are  more  trouble  than  dogs  is  a  fallacy.  The  difficulty 
arises  only  twice  in  a  twelvemonth  for  a  few  days,  and  if  you 
are  watchful  there  need  be  no  misadventure. 

If  only  one  dog,  or  two  or  three  of  the  smaller  kinds,  be  kept, 
there  is  no  imperative  need  for  an  outdoor  kennel,  although 
all  dogs  are  the  better  for  life  in  the  open  air.  The  house-dog 
may  be  fed  with  meat-scraps  from  the  kitchen  served  as  an 
evening  meal,  with  rodnim  or  a  dry  biscuit  for  breakfast. 
The  duty  of  feeding  him  should  be  in  the  hands  of  one  person 
only.  When  it  is  everybody's  and  nobody's  duty  he  is  apt 
to  be  neglected  at  one  time  and  overfed  at  another.  Regu- 
larity of  feeding  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  successful  dog-keeping. 
It  ought  also  to  be  one  person's  duty  to  see  that  he  has  frequent 
access  to  the  yard  or  garden,  that  he  gets  plenty  of  clean  drink- 
ing water,  plenty  of  outdoor  exercise,  and  a  comfortable  bed. 

For  the  toy  and  delicate  breeds  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a 
dog-room  set  apart,  with  a  suitable  cage  or  basket-kennel  for 
each  dog. 

Even  delicate  Toy  dogs,  however,  ought  not  to  be  per- 
manently lodged  within  doors,  and  the  dog-room  is  only  com- 
plete when  it  has  as  an  annexe  a  grass  plot  for  playground 
and  free  exercise.  Next  to  wholesome  and  regular  food, 


PRACTICAL  MANAGEMENT  313 

fresh  air  and  sunshine  are  the  prime  necessaries  of  healthy 
condition.  Weakness  and  disease  come  more  frequently  from 
injudicious  feeding  and  housing  than  from  any  other  cause. 
Among  the  free  and  ownerless  pariah  dogs  of  the  East  disease 
is  almost  unknown. 

For  the  kennels  of  our  British-bred  dogs,  perhaps  a  southern 
or  a  south-western  aspect  is  the  best,  but  wherever  it  is  placed 
the  kennel  must  be  sufficiently  sheltered  from  rain  and  wind, 
and  it  ought  to  be  provided  with  a  covered  run  in  which  the 
inmates  may  have  full  liberty.  An  awning  of  some  kind  is 
necessary.  Trees  afford  good  shelter  from  the  sun-rays,  but 
they  harbour  moisture,  and  damp  must  be  avoided  at  all 
costs.  When  only  one  outdoor  dog  is  kept,  a  kennel  can  be 
improvised  out  of  a  packing-case,  supported  on  bricks  above 
the  ground,  with  the  entrance  properly  shielded  from  the 
weather.  No  dog  should  be  allowed  to  live  in  a  kennel  in 
which  he  cannot  turn  round  at  full  length.  Properly  con- 
structed, portable,  and  well- ventilated  kennels  for  single 
dogs  are  not  expensive  and  are  greatly  to  be  preferred  to  any 
amateurish  makeshift.  A  good  one  for  a  terrier  need  not 
cost  more  than  a  pound.  It  is  usually  the  single  dog  that 
suffers  most  from  imperfect  accommodation.  His  kennel  is 
generally  too  small  to  admit  of  a  good  bed  of  straw,  and  if 
there  is  no  railed-in  run  attached  he  must  needs  be  chained 
up.  The  dog  that  is  kept  on  the  chain  becomes  dirty  in  his 
habits,  unhappy,  and  savage.  His  chain  is  often  too  short  and 
is  not  provided  with  swivels  to  avert  kinks.  On  a  sudden 
alarm,  or  on  the  appearance  of  a  trespassing  tabby,  he  will 
often  bound  forward  at  the  risk  of  dislocating  his  neck. 
The  yard-dog's  chain  ought  always  to  be  fitted  with  a  stop 
link  spring  to  counteract  the  effect  of  the  sudden  jerk.  The 
method  may  be  employed  with  advantage  in  the  garden  for 
several  dogs,  a  separate  rope  being  used  for  each.  Unfriendly 
dogs  can  thus  be  kept  safely  apart  and  still  be  to  some  extent 
at  liberty. 

There  is  no  obvious  advantage  in  keeping  a  watch-dog 


314        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

on  the  chain  rather  than  in  an  enclosed  compound,  unless  he 
is  expected  to  go  for  a  possible  burglar  and  attack  him. 
A  wire-netting  enclosure  can  easily  be  constructed  at  very 
little  expense.  For  the  more  powerful  dogs  the  use  of  wrought- 
iron  railings  is  advisable,  and  these  can  be  procured  cheaply 
from  Spratt's  or  Boulton  and  Paul's,  fitted  with  gates  and 
with  revolving  troughs  for  feeding  from  the  outside. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  the  best  material  for  the  flooring  of 
kennels  and  the  paving  of  runs.  Asphalte  is  suitable  for 
either  in  mild  weather,  but  in  summer  it  becomes  uncomfort- 
ably hot  for  the  feet,  unless  it  is  partly  composed  of  cork. 
Concrete  has  its  advantages  if  the  surface  can  be  kept  dry. 
Flagstones  are  cold  for  winter,  as  also  are  tiles  and  bricks. 
For  terriers,  who  enjoy  burrowing,  earth  is  the  best  ground 
for  the  run,  and  it  can  be  kept  free  from  dirt  and  buried  bones 
by  a  rake  over  in  the  morning,  while  tufts  of  grass  left  round 
the  margins  supply  the  dogs'  natural  medicine.  The  movable 
sleeping  bench  must,  of  course,  be  of  wood,  raised  a  few 
inches  above  the  floor,  with  a  ledge  to  keep  in  the  straw  or 
other  bedding.  Wooden  floors  are  open  to  the  objection  that 
they  absorb  the  urine  ;  but  dogs  should  be  taught  not  to 
foul  their  nest,  and  in  any  case  a  frequent  disinfecting  with  a 
solution  of  Pearson's  or  J eyes'  fluid  should  obviate  impurity, 
while  fleas,  which  take  refuge  in  the  dust  between  the  planks, 
may  be  dismissed  or  kept  away  with  a  sprinkling  of  paraffin. 
Whatever  the  flooring,  scrupulous  cleanliness  in  the  kennel  is 
a  prime  necessity,  and  the  inner  walls  should  be  frequently 
limewashed.  It  is  important,  too,  that  no  scraps  of  rejected 
food  or  bones  should  be  left  lying  about  to  become  putrid  or 
to  tempt  the  visits  of  rats,  which  bring  fleas.  If  the  dogs  do 
not  finish  their  food  when  it  is  served  to  them,  it  should  be 
removed  until  hunger  gives  appetite  for  the  next  meal. 

Many  breeders  of  the  large  and  thick-coated  varieties,  such 
as  St.  Bernards,  Newfoundlands,  Old  English  Sheepdogs, 
and  rough-haired  Collies,  give  their  dogs  nothing  to  lie  upon 
but  clean  bare  boards.  The  coat  is  itself  a  sufficient  cushion. 


PRACTICAL  MANAGEMENT  3*5 

but  in  winter  weather  straw  gives  added  warmth,  and  for 
short-haired  dogs  something  soft,  if  it  is  only  a  piece  of  carpet 
or  a  sack,  is  needed  as  a  bed  to  protect  the  hocks  from  abrasion. 
With  regard  to  feeding,  this  requires  to  be  studied  in  rela- 
tion to  the  particular  breed.  One  good  meal  a  day,  served  by 
preference  in  the  evening,  is  sufficient  for  the  adult  if  a  dry 
dog-cake  or  a  handful  of  rodnim  be  given  for  breakfast,  and 
perhaps  a  large  bone  to  gnaw  at.  Clean  cold  water  must  al- 
ways be  at  hand  in  all  weathers,  and  a  drink  of  milk  coloured 
with  tea  is  nourishing.  Goat's  milk  is  particularly  suitable 
for  the  dog:  many  owners  keep  goats  on  their  premises  to 
give  a  constant  supply.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose,  as  many 
persons  do,  that  meat  diet  provokes  eczema  and  other  skin 
troubles  ;  the  contrary  is  the  case.  The  dog  is  by  nature  a 
carnivorous  animal,  and  wholesome  flesh,  either  cooked  or 
raw,  should  be  his  staple  food.  Horseflesh,  which  is  frequently 
used  in  large  establishments,  is  not  so  fully  to  be  relied  upon 
as  ordinary  butcher  meat.  There  is  no  serious  objection  to 
bullocks'  heads,  sheeps'  heads,  bullocks'  tripes  and  paunches 
and  a  little  liver  given  occasionally  is  an  aperient  food  which 
most  dogs  enjoy.  But  when  it  can  be  afforded,  wholesome 
butcher's  meat  is  without  question  the  proper  food.  Oatmeal 
porridge,  rice,  barley,  linseed  meal,  and  bone  meal  ought 
only  to  be  regarded  as  occasional  additions  to  the  usual  meat 
diet,  and  are  not  necessary  when  dog  cakes  are  regularly 
supplied.  Well-boiled  green  vegetables,  such  as  cabbage, 
turnip-tops,  and  nettle-tops,  are  good  mixed  with  the  meat ; 
potatoes  are  questionable.  Of  the  various  advertised  dog 
foods,  many  of  which  are  excellent,  the  choice  may  be  left  to 
those  who  are  fond  of  experiment,  or  who  seek  for  convenient 
substitutes  for  the  old-fashioned  and  wholesome  diet  of  the 
household.  Sickly  dogs  require  invalid's  treatment ;  but  the 
best  course  is  usually  the  simplest,  and,  given  a  sound  consti- 
tution to  begin  with,  any  dog  ought  to  thrive  if  he  is  only 
properly  housed,  carefully  fed,  and  gets  abundant  exercise. 


CHAPTER   L 
BREEDING   AND   WHELPING 

THE  modern  practice  of  dog-breeding  in  Great  Britain  has 
reached  a  condition  which  may  be  esteemed  as  an  art.  At  no 
other  time,  and  in  no  other  country,  have  the  various  canine 
types  been  kept  more  rigidly  distinct  or  brought  to  a  higher 
level  of  perfection.  Formerly  dog-owners — apart  from  the 
keepers  of  packs  of  hounds — paid  scant  attention  to  the 
differentiation  of  breeds  and  the  conservation  of  type,  and 
they  considered  it  no  serious  breach  of  duty  to  ignore  the 
principles  of  scientific  selection,  and  thus  contribute  to  the 
multiplication  of  mongrels.  Discriminate  breeding  was  rare, 
and  if  a  Bulldog  should  mate  himself  with  a  Greyhound,  or  a 
Spaniel  with  a  Terrier,  the  alliance  was  regarded  merely  as  an 
inconvenience.  So  careless  were  owners  in  preventing  the 
promiscuous  mingling  of  alien  breeds  that  it  is  little  short 
of  surprising  so  many  of  our  canine  types  have  been  preserved 
in  their  integrity. 

The  elimination  of  the  nondescript  cur  is  no  doubt  largely 
due  to  the  work  of  the  homes  for  lost  dogs  that  are  instituted 
in  most  of  our  great  towns.  Every  year  some  26,000  homeless 
and  ownerless  canines  are  picked  up  by  the  police  in  the  streets 
of  London,  and  during  the  forty-seven  years  which  have  elapsed 
since  the  Dogs'  Home  at  Battersea  was  established,  upwards 
of  800,000  dogs  have  passed  through  the  books,  a  few  to  be 
reclaimed  or  bought,  the  great  majority  to  be  put  to  death. 
A  very  large  proportion  of  these  have  been  veritable  mongrels, 
not  worth  the  value  of  their  licences — diseased  and  maimed 
curs,  or  bitches  in  whelp,  turned  ruthlessly  adrift  to  be 

316 


BREEDING  AND  WHELPING  317 

consigned  to  the  oblivion  of  the  lethal  chamber,  where  the 
thoroughbred  seldom  finds  its  way.  And  if  as  many  as  500 
undesirables  are  destroyed  every  week  at  one  such  institution, 
'tis  clear  that  the  ill-bred  mongrel  must  soon  altogether 
disappear.  But  the  chief  factor  in  the  general  improvement 
of  our  canine  population  is  due  to  the  steadily  growing  care 
and  pride  which  are  bestowed  upon  the  dog,  and  to  the 
scientific  skill  with  which  he  is  being  bred. 

Admitting  that  the  dogs  seen  at  our  best  contemporary 
shows  are  superlative  examples  of  scientific  selection,  one  has 
yet  to  acknowledge  that  the  process  of  breeding  for  show  points 
has  its  disadvantages,  and  that,  in  the  sporting  and  pastoral 
varieties  more  especially,  utility  is  apt  to  be  sacrificed  to 
ornament  and  type,  and  stamina  to  fancy  qualities  not  always 
relative  to  the  animal's  capacities  as  a  worker.  The  stand- 
ards of  perfection  and  scales  of  points  laid  down  by  the 
specialist  clubs  are  usually  admirable  guides  to  the  uninitiated, 
but  they  are  often  unreasonably  arbitrary  in  their  insistence 
upon  certain  details  of  form — generally  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  head — while  they  leave  the  qualities  of  type  and 
character  to  look  after  themselves  or  to  be  totally  ignored. 

It  is  necessary  to  assure  the  beginner  in  breeding  that  points 
are  essentially  of  far  less  moment  than  type  and  a  good  con- 
stitution. The  one  thing  necessary  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
dog  is  to  bear  in  mind  the  purpose  for  which  he  is  supposed 
to  be  employed,  and  to  aim  at  adapting  or  conserving  his 
physique  to  the  best  fulfilment  of  that  purpose,  remembering 
that  the  Greyhound  has  tucked-up  loins  to  give  elasticity  and 
bend  to  the  body  in  running,  that  a  Terrier  is  kept  small  to 
enable  him  the  better  to  enter  an  earth,  that  a  Bulldog  is 
massive  and  undershot  for  encounters  in  the  bullring,  that  the 
Collie's  ears  are  erected  to  assist  him  in  hearing  sounds  from 
afar,  as  those  of  the  Bloodhound  are  pendant,  the  more 
readily  to  detect  sounds  coming  to  him  along  the  ground  while 
his  head  is  bent  to  the  trail.  Nature  has  been  discriminate 
in  her  adaptations  of  animal  forms,  and  the  most  perfect 


318        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

dog  yet  bred  is  the  one  which  approaches  nearest  to  Nature's 
wise  intention. 

The  foregoing  chapters  have  given  abundant  examples  of 
how  the  various  breeds  of  the  dog  have  been  acquired, 
manufactured,  improved,  resuscitated,  and  retained.  Broadly 
speaking,  two  methods  have  been  adopted  :  The  method  of 
introducing  an  outcross  to  impart  new  blood,  new  strength, 
new  character ;  and  the  method  of  inbreeding  to  retain  an 
approved  type.  An  outcross  is  introduced  when  the  breed 
operated  upon  is  declining  in  stamina  or  is  in  danger 
of  extinction,  or  when  some  new  physical  or  mental 
quality  is  desired.  New  types  and  eccentricities  are 
hardly  wanted,  however,  and  the  extreme  requirements  of 
an  outcross  may  nowadays  be  achieved  by  the  simple  process 
of  selecting  individuals  from  differing  strains  of  the  same 
breed,  mating  a  bitch  which  lacks  the  required  points  with  a 
dog  in  whose  family  they  are  prominently  and  consistently 
present. 

Inbreeding  is  the  reverse  of  outcrossing.  It  is  the  practice 
of  mating  animals  closely  related  to  each  other,  and  it  is, 
within  limits,  an  entirely  justifiable  means  of  preserving  and 
intensifying  family  characteristics.  It  is  a  law  in  zoology 
that  an  animal  cannot  transmit  a  quality  which  it  does  not 
itself  innately  possess,  or  which  none  of  its  progenitors  has 
ever  possessed.  By  mating  a  dog  and  a  bitch  of  the  same 
family,  therefore,  you  concentrate  and  enhance  the  uniform 
inheritable  qualities  into  one  line  instead  of  two,  and  you 
reduce  the  number  of  possibly  heterogeneous  ancestors  by 
exactly  a  half  right  back  to  the  very  beginning.  There  is  no 
surer  way  of  maintaining  uniformity  of  type,  and  an  examina- 
tion of  the  extended  pedigree  of  almost  any  famous  dog  will 
show  how  commonly  inbreeding  is  practised.  Inbreeding  is 
certainly  advantageous  when  managed  with  judgment  and 
discreet  selection,  but  it  has  its  disadvantages  also,  for  it  is 
to  be  remembered  that  faults  and  blemishes  are  inherited  as 
well  as  merits,  and  that  the  faults  have  a  way  of  asserting 


BREEDING  AND  WHELPING  319 

themselves  with  annoying  persistency.  Furthermore,  breed- 
ing between  animals  closely  allied  in  parentage  is  prone  to 
lead  to  degeneracy,  physical  weakness,  and  mental  stupidity, 
while  impotence  and  sterility  are  frequent  concomitants,  and 
none  but  experienced  breeders  should  attempt  so  hazardous 
an  experiment.  Observation  has  proved  that  the  union  of 
father  with  daughter  and  mother  with  son  is  preferable  to  an 
alliance  between  brother  and  sister.  Perhaps  the  best 
union  is  that  between  cousins.  For  the  preservation  of 
general  type,  however,  it  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  keep  to  one 
strain  and  to  select  from  that  strain  members  who,  while 
exhibiting  similar  characteristics,  are  not  actually  too  closely 
allied  in  consanguinity.  To  move  perpetually  from  one 
strain  to  another  is  only  to  court  an  undesirable  confusion  of 
type. 

In  founding  a  kennel  it  is  advisable  to  begin  with  the  posses- 
sion of  a  bitch.  As  a  companion  the  female  is  to  be  preferred 
to  the  male  ;  she  is  not  less  affectionate  and  faithful,  and  she  is 
usually  much  cleaner  in  her  habits  in  the  house.  If  it  is 
intended  to  breed  by  her,  she  should  be  very  carefully  chosen 
and  proved  to  be  free  from  any  serious  fault  or  predisposition 
to  disease.  Not  only  should  her  written  pedigree  be  scrupu- 
lously scrutinised,  but  her  own  constitution  and  that  of  her 
parents  on  both  sides  should  be  minutely  inquired  into. 

A  bitch  comes  into  season  for  breeding  twice  in  a  year  ; 
the  first  time  when  she  is  reaching  maturity,  usually  at  the 
age  of  from  seven  to  ten  months.  Her  condition  will  readily 
be  discerned  by  the  fact  of  an  increased  attentiveness  of  the 
opposite  sex  and  the  appearance  of  a  mucous  discharge  from 
the  vagina.  She  should  then  be  carefully  protected  from  the 
gallantry  of  suitors.  Dogs  kept  in  the  near  neighbourhood 
of  a  bitch  on  heat,  who  is  not  accessible  to  them,  go  off  their 
feed  and  suffer  in  condition.  With  most  breeds  it  is  unwise 
to  put  a  bitch  to  stud  before  she  is  eighteen  months  old,  but 
Mr.  Stubbs  recommends  that  a  Bull  bitch  should  be  allowed  to 
breed  at  her  first  heat,  while  her  body  retains  the  flexibility  of 


320        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

youth  ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  with  regard  to  the  Bulldog 
great  mortality  occurs  in  attempting  to  breed  from  maiden 
bitches  exceeding  three  years  old.  In  almost  all  breeds  it  is 
the  case  that  the  first  three  litters  are  the  best.  It  is  accord- 
ingly important  that  a  proper  mating  should  be  considered 
at  the  outset,  and  a  prospective  sire  selected  either  through 
the  medium  of  stud  advertisements  or  by  private  arrangement 
with  the  owner  of  the  desired  dog.  For  the  payment  of 
the  requisite  stud  fee,  varying  from  a  guinea  to  ten  or  fifteen 
pounds,  the  services  of  the  best  dogs  of  the  particular  breed 
can  usually  be  secured.  It  is  customary  for  the  bitch  to  be 
the  visitor,  and  it  is  well  that  her  visit  should  extend  to  two  or 
three  days  at  the  least.  When  possible  a  responsible  person 
should  accompany  her. 

If  the  stud  dog  is  a  frequenter  of  shows  he  can  usually  be 
depended  upon  to  be  in  sound  physical  condition.  No  dog 
who  is  not  so  can  be  expected  to  win  prizes.  But  it  ought  to 
be  ascertained  before  hand  that  he  is  what  is  known  as  a  good 
stock-getter.  The  fee  is  for  his  services,  not  for  the  result  of 
them.  Some  owners  of  stud  dogs  will  grant  two  services, 
and  this  is  often  desirable,  especially  in  the  case  of  a  maiden 
bitch  or  of  a  stud  dog  that  is  over- wrought,  as  so  many  are. 
It  is  most  important  that  both  the  mated  animals  should  be 
free  from  worms  and  skin  disorders.  Fifty  per  cent,  of  the 
casualties  among  young  puppies  are  due  to  one  or  other  of 
the  parents  having  been  in  an  unhealthy  condition  when 
mated.  A  winter  whelping  is  not  advisable.  It  is  best 
for  puppies  to  be  born  in  the  spring  or  early  summer,  thus 
escaping  the  rigours  of  inclement  weather. 

During  the  period  of  gestation  the  breeding  bitch  should 
have  ample  but  not  violent  exercise,  with  varied  and  whole- 
some food,  including  some  preparation  of  bone  meal ;  and  at 
about  the  third  week,  whether  she  seems  to  require  it  or  not, 
she  should  be  treated  for  worms.  At  about  the  sixtieth  day 
she  will  begin  to  be  uneasy  and  restless.  A  mild  purgative 
should  be  given  ;  usually  salad  oil  is  enough,  but  if  constipa- 


BREEDING  AND  WHELPING  321 

tion  is  apparent  castor  oil  may  be  necessary.  On  the  sixty- 
second  day  the  whelps  may  be  expected,  and  everything  ought 
to  be  in  readiness  for  the  event. 

A  coarsely  constituted  bitch  may  be  trusted  to  look  after 
herself  on  these  occasions  ;  no  help  is  necessary,  and  one  may 
come  down  in  the  morning  to  find  her  with  her  litter  com- 
fortably nestling  at  her  side.  But  with  the  Toy  breeds,  and 
the  breeds  that  have  been  reared  in  artificial  conditions, 
difficult  or  protracted  parturition  is  frequent,  and  human 
assistance  ought  to  be  at  hand  in  case  of  need.  The  owner 
of  a  valuable  Bull  bitch,  for  example,  would  never  think  of 
leaving  her  to  her  own  unaided  devices.  All  undue  inter- 
ference, however,  should  be  avoided,  and  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  the  person  attending  her  should  be  one  with 
whom  she  is  fondly  familiar. 

In  anticipation  of  a  possibly  numerous  litter,  a  foster-mother 
should  be  arranged  for  beforehand.  Comfortable  quarters 
should  be  prepared  in  a  quiet  part  of  the  house  or  kennels, 
warm,  and  free  from  draughts.  Clean  bedding  of  wheat  en 
straw  should  be  provided,  but  the  bitch  should  be  allowed  to 
make  her  nest  in  her  own  instinctive  fashion.  Let  her  have 
easy  access  to  drinking  water.  She  will  probable  refuse  food 
for  a  few  hours  before  her  time,  but  a  little  concentrated 
nourishment,  such  as  Brand's  Essence  or  a  drink  of  warm  milk, 
should  be  offered  to  her.  In  further  preparation  for  the 
confinement  a  basin  of  water  containing  antiseptic  for  washing 
in,  towels,  warm  milk,  a  flask  of  brandy,  a  bottle  of  ergotine, 
and  a  pair  of  scissors  are  commodities  which  may  all  be 
required  in  emergency.  The  ergot,  which  must  be  used  with 
extreme  caution  and  only  when  the  labour  pains  have  com- 
menced, is  invaluable  when  parturition  is  protracted,  and  there 
is  difficult  straining  without  result.  Its  effect  is  to  contract 
the  womb  and  expel  the  contents.  But  when  the  puppies  are 
expelled  with  ease  it  is  superfluous.  For  a  bitch  of  10  Ib. 
in  weight  ten  drops  of  the  extract  of  ergot  in  a  teaspoonful  of 
water  should  be  ample,  given  by  the  mouth.  The  scissors  are 


322        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

for  severing  the  umbilical  cord  if  the  mother  should  fail  to  do 
it  in  her  own  natural  way.  Sometimes  a  puppy  may  be  en- 
closed within  a  membrane  which  the  dam  cannot  readily  open 
with  tongue  and  teeth.  If  help  is  necessary  it  should  be  given 
tenderly  and  with  clean  fingers.  Occasionally  a  puppy  may 
seem  to  be  inert  and  lifeless,  and  after  repeatedly  licking  it 
the  bitch  may  relinquish  all  effort  at  restoration  and  turn  her 
attention  to  another  that  is  being  born.  In  such  a  circum- 
stance the  rejected  little  one  may  be  discreetly  removed,  and  a 
drop  of  brandy  on  the  point  of  the  finger  smeared  upon  its 
tongue  may  revive  animation,  or  it  may  be  plunged  up  to  the 
neck  in  warm  water.  The  object  should  be  to  keep  it  warm 
and  to  make  it  breathe.  When  the  puppies  are  all  born,  their 
dam  may  be  given  a  drink  of  warm  milk  and  then  left  alone 
to  their  toilet  and  to  suckle  them.  If  any  should  be  dead,  these 
ought  to  be  disposed  of.  Curiosity  in  regard  to  the  others 
should  be  temporarily  repressed,  and  inspection  of  them 
delayed  until  a  more  fitting  opportunity.  If  any  are  then  seen 
to  be  malformed  or  to  have  cleft  palates,  these  had  better 
be  removed  and  mercifully  destroyed. 

It  is  the  experience  of  many  observers  that  the  first  whelps 
born  in  a  litter  are  the  strongest,  largest,  and  healthiest.  If 
the  litter  is  a  large  one,  the  last  born  may  be  noticeably  puny, 
and  this  disparity  in  size  may  continue  to  maturity.  The  wise 
breeder  will  decide  for  himself  how  many  whelps  should  be 
left  to  the  care  of  their  dam.  The  number  should  be  relative 
to  her  health  and  constitution,  and  in  any  case  it  is  well  not 
to  give  her  so  many  that  they  will  be  a  drain  upon  her  Those 
breeds  of  dogs  that  have  been  most  highly  developed  by  man 
and  that  appear  to  have  the  greatest  amount  of  brain  and 
intelligence  are  generally  the  most  prolific  as  to  the  number  of 
puppies  they  produce.  St.  Bernards,  Pointers,  Setters  are 
notable  for  the  usual  strength  of  their  families.  St.  Bernards 
have  been  known  to  produce  as  many  as  eighteen  whelps  at 
a  birth,  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  them  to  produce  from 
nine  to  twelve.  A  Pointer  of  Mr.  Barclay  Field's  produced 


BREEDING  AND  WHELPING  323 

fifteen,  and  it  is  well  known  that  Mr.  Statter's  Setter  Phoebe 
produced  twenty-one  at  a  birth.  Phoebe  reared  ten  of  these 
herself,  and  almost  every  one  of  the  family  became  celebrated. 
It  would  be  straining  the  natural  possibilities  of  any  bitch 
to  expect  her  to  bring  up  eighteen  puppies  healthily.  Half  that 
number  would  tax  her  natural  resources  to  the  extreme. 
But  Nature  is  extraordinarily  adaptive  in  tempering  the  wind 
to  the  shorn  lamb,  and  a  dam  who  gives  birth  to  a  numerous 
litter  ought  not  to  have  her  family  unduly  reduced.  It  was 
good  policy  to  allow  Phcebe  to  have  the  rearing  of  as  many 
as  ten  out  of  her  twenty-one.  A  bitch  having  twelve  will 
bring  up  nine  very  well,  one  having  nine  will  rear  seven  with- 
out help,  and  a  bitch  having  seven  will  bring  up  five  better 
than  four. 

Breeders  of  Toy-dogs  often  rear  the  overplus  offspring  by 
hand,  with  the  help  of  a  Maw  and  Thompson  feeding-bottle, 
peptonised  milk,  and  one  or  more  of  the  various  advertised 
infants'  foods  or  orphan  puppy  foods.  Others  prefer  to 
engage  or  prepare  in  advance  a  foster-mother.  The  foster- 
mother  need  not  be  of  the  same  breed,  but  she  should  be 
approximately  of  similar  size,  and  her  own  family  ought  to  be 
of  the  same  age  as  the  one  of  which  she  is  to  take  additional 
charge.  One  can  usually  be  secured  through  advertisement 
in  the  canine  press.  Some  owners  do  not  object  to  taking 
one  from  a  dogs'  home,  which  is  an  easy  method,  in  con- 
sideration of  the  circumstance  that  by  far  the  larger  number 
of  "  lost  "  dogs  are  bitches  sent  adrift  because  they  are  in 
whelp.  The  chief  risk  in  this  course  is  that  the  unknown  foster- 
mother  may  be  diseased  or  verminous  or  have  contracted  the 
seeds  of  distemper,  or  her  milk  may  be  populated  with  embryo 
worms.  These  are  dangers  to  guard  against.  A  cat  makes 
an  excellent  foster-mother  for  Toy-dog  puppies. 

Worms  ought  not  to  be  a  necessary  accompaniment  of 
puppyhood,  and  if  the  sire  and  dam  are  properly  attended 
to  in  advance  they  need  not  be.  The  writer  has  attended 
at  the  birth  of  puppies,  not  one  of  whom  has  shown  the 


324        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

remotest  sign  of  having  a  worm,  and  the  puppies  have  almost 
galloped  into  healthy,  happy  maturity,  protected  from  all  the 
usual  canine  ailments  by  constitutions  impervious  to  disease. 
He  has  seen  others  almost  eaten  away  by  worms.  Great 
writhing  knots  of  them  have  been  ejected  ;  they  have  been 
vomited  ;  they  have  wriggled  out  of  the  nostrils  ;  they  have 
perforated  the  stomach  and  wrought  such  damage  that  most 
of  the  puppies  succumbed,  and  those  that  survived  were 
permanently  deficient  in  stamina  and  liable  to  go  wrong  on  the 
least  provocating.  The  puppy  that  is  free  from  worms  starts 
life  with  a  great  advantage. 


CHAPTER    LI 

SOME   COMMON   AILMENTS   OF   THE   DOG   AND 
THEIR   TREATMENT 

THE  experienced  dog-owner  has  long  ago  realised  that  cleanliness, 
wholesome  food,  judicious  exercise  and  a  dry,  comfortable  and  well- 
ventilated  kennel  are  the  surest  safeguards  of  health,  and  that  attention 
to  these  necessaries  saves  him  an  infinitude  of  trouble  and  anxiety 
by  protecting  his  dogs  from  disease.  On  the  first  appearance  of  illness 
in  his  kennels  the  wise  dog-owner  at  once  calls  in  the  skill  of  a  good 
veterinary  surgeon,  but  there  are  some  of  the  minor  ailments  which  he 
can  deal  with  himself  whilst  he  ought  at  least  to  be  able  to  recognise 
the  first  symptoms  of  the  dreaded  Distemper  and  give  first  aid  until  the 
vet.  arrives  to  apply  his  remedies  and  give  professional  advice. 

DISTEMPER. 

Although  more  than  one  hundred  years  have  elapsed  since  this 
was  first  imported  to  this  country  from  France,  a  great  amount  of 
misunderstanding  still  prevails  among  a  large  section  of  dog-breeders 
regarding  its  true  nature  and  origin.  The  fact  is,  the  disease  came 
to  us  with  a  bad  name,  for  the  French  themselves  deemed  it  incurable. 
In  this  country  the  old-fashioned  plan  of  treatment  was  wont  to  be 
the  usual  rough  remedies — emetics,  purgatives,  the  seton,  and  the 
lancet.  Failing  in  this,  specifics  of  all  sorts  were  eagerly  sought  for 
and  tried,  and  are  unfortunately  still  believed  in  to  a  very  great  extent. 

Distemper  has  a  certain  course  to  run,  and  in  this  disease  Nature 
seems  to  attempt  the  elimination  of  the  poison  through  the  secretions 
thrown  out  by  the  naso-pharyngeal  mucous  membrane. 

Our  chief  difficulty  in  the  treatment  of  distemper  lies  in  the 
complications  thereof.  We  may,  and  often  do,  have  the  organs  of 
respiration  attacked;  we  have  sometimes  congestion  of  the  liver,  or 
mucous  inflammation  of  the  bile  ducts,  or  some  lesion  of  the  brain  or 
nervous  structures,  combined  with  epilepsy,  convulsions,  or  chorea. 
Distemper  is  also  often  complicated  with  severe  disease  of  the  bowels, 
and  at  times  with  an  affection  of  the  eyes. 

Causes — Whether  it  be  that  the  distemper  virus,  the  poison  seedling 
of  the  disease,  really  originates  in  the  kennel,  or  is  the  result  of  contact 
of  one  dog  with  another,  or  whether  the  poison  floats  to  the  kennel  on 
the  wings  of  the  wind,  or  is  carried  there  on  a  shoe  or  the  point  of  a 
walking-stick,  the  following  facts  ought  to  be  borne  in  mind  :  (1)  Any- 
thing that  debilitates  the  body  or  weakens  the  nervous  system  paves 

325 


326        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

the  way  for  the  distemper  poison  ;  (2)  the  healthier  the  dog  the  more 
power  does  he  possess  to  resist  contagion  ;  (3)  when  the  disease  is 
epizootic,  it  can  often  be  kept  at  bay  by  proper  attention  to  diet  and 
exercise,  frequent  change  of  kennel  straw,  and  perfect  cleanliness  ; 
(4)  the  predisposing  causes  which  have  come  more  immediately  under 
my  notice  are  debility,  cold,  damp,  starvation,  filthy  kennels,  un- 
wholesome food,  impure  air,  and  grief. 

The  Age  at  which  Dogs  take  Distemper — They  may  take  distemper 
at  any  age  ;  the  most  common  time  of  life  is  from  the  fifth  till  the 
eleventh  or  twelfth  month. 

Symptoms — There  is,  first  and  foremost,  a  period  of  latency  or  of 
incubation,  in  which  there  is  more  or  less  of  dullness  and  loss  of  appetite, 
and  this  glides  gradually  into  a  state  of  feverishness.  The  fever  may 
be  ushered  in  with  chills  and  shivering.  The  nose  now  becomes  hot 
and  dry,  the  dog  is  restless  and  thirsty,  and  the  conjunctiva;  of  the  eyes 
will  be  found  to  be  considerably  injected.  Sometimes  the  bowels 
are  at  first  constipated,  but  they  are  more  usually  irregular.  Sneezing 
will  also  be  frequent,  and  in  some  cases  cough,  dry  and  husky  at  first. 
The  temperature  should  be  taken,  and  if  there  is  a  rise  of  two  or  three 
degrees  the  case  should  be  treated  as  distemper,  and  not  as  a  common 
cold. 

At  the  commencement  there  is  but  little  exudation  from  the  eyes 
and  nose,  but  as  the  disease  advances  this  symptom  will  become  more 
marked,  being  clear  at  first.  So,  too,  will  another  symptom  which 
is  partially  diagnostic  of  the  malady,  namely,  increased  heat  of  body 
combined  with  a  rapid  falling  of!  in  flesh,  sometimes,  indeed,  proceeding 
quickly  on  to  positive  emaciation. 

As  the  disease  creeps  downwards  and  inwards  along  the  air-passages, 
the  chest  gets  more  and  more  affected,  the  discharge  of  mucus  and  pus 
from  the  nostrils  more  abundant,  and  the  cough  loses  its  dry  character, 
becoming  moist.  The  discharge  from  the  eyes  is  simply  mucus  and  pus, 
but  if  not  constantly  dried  away  will  gum  the  inflamed  lids  together, 
that  from  the  nostrils  is  not  only  purulent,  but  often  mixed  with  dark 
blood.  The  appetite  is  now  clean  gone,  and  there  is  often  vomiting 
and  occasional  attacks  of  diarrhoea. 

Now  in  mild  cases  we  may  look  for  some  abatement  of  the  symptoms 
about  the  fourteenth  day.  The  fever  gets  less,  inflammation  decreases 
in  the  mucous  passages,  and  appetite  is  restored  as  one  of  the  first  signs 
of  returning  health.  More  often,  however,  the  disease  becomes 
complicated. 

Diagnosis — The  diagnostic  symptoms  are  the  severe  catarrh, 
combined  not  only  with  /ever,  but  speedy  emaciation. 

Pneumonia,  as  we  might  easily  imagine,  is  a  very  likely  complication, 
and  a  very  dangerous  one.  There  is  great  distress  in  breathing,  the 
animal  panting  rapidly.  The  countenance  is  anxious,  the  pulse  small 
and  frequent,  and  the  extremities  cold.  The  animal  would  fain  sit  up 
on  his  haunches,  or  even  seek  to  get  out  into  the  fresh  air,  but  sickness, 
weakness,  and  prostration  often  forbid  his  movements.  If  the  ear 
or  stethoscope  be  applied  to  the  chest,  the  characteristic  signs  of 
pneumonia  will  be  heard  ;  these  are  sounds  of  moist  crepitations,  etc. 

Bronchitis  is  probably  the  most  common  complication  ;    in  fact, 


AILMENTS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT  327 

it  is  always  present,  except  in  very  mild  cases.  The  cough  becomes 
more  severe,  and  often  comes  on  in  tearing  paroxysms,  causing  sickness 
and  vomiting.  The  breathing  is  short  and  frequent,  the  mouth  hot 
and  filled  with  viscid  saliva,  while  very  often  the  bowels  are  constipated. 
If  the  liver  becomes  involved,  we  shall  very  soon  have  the  jaundiced 
eye  and  the  yellow  skin.  Diarrhoea  is  another  very  common  com- 
plication. We  have  frequent  purging  and,  maybe,  sickness  and 
vomiting.  Fits  of  a  convulsive  character  are  frequent  concomitants  of 
distemper.  Epilepsy  is  sometimes  seen,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  degenera- 
tion of  the  nerve  centres  caused  by  blood-poisoning.  There  are  many 
other  complications,  and  skin  complaints  are  common  after  it. 

Treatment — This  consists  firstly  in  doing  all  in  our  power  to  guide 
the  specific  catarrhal  fever  to  a  safe  termination  ;  and,  secondly, 
in  watching  for  and  combating  complications.  Whenever  we  see  a 
young  dog  ailing,  losing  appetite,  exhibiting  catarrhal  symptoms, 
and  getting  thin,  with  a  rise  in  temperature,  we  should  not  lose  an  hour. 
If  he  be  an  indoor  dog,  find  him  a  good  bed  in  a  clean,  well-ventilated 
apartment,  free  from  lumber  and  free  from  dirt.  If  it  be  summer, 
have  all  the  windows  out  or  opened  ;  if  winter,  a  little  fire  will  be 
necessary,  but  have  half  the  window  opened  at  the  same  time  ;  only 
take  precautions  against  his  lying  in  a  draught.  Fresh  air  in  cases 
of  distemper,  and,  indeed,  in  fevers  of  all  kinds,  cannot  be  too  highly 
extolled. 

The  more  rest  the  dog  has  the  better ;  he  must  be  kept  free  from 
excitement,  and  care  must  be  taken  to  guard  him  against  cold  and  wet 
when  he  goes  out  of  doors  to  obey  the  calls  of  Nature.  The  most 
perfect  cleanliness  must  be  enjoined,  and  disinfectants  used,  such  as 
permanganate  of  potash,  carbolic  acid,  Pearson's,  or  Izal.  If  the 
sick  dog,  on  the  other  hand,  be  one  of  a  kennel  of  dogs,  then  quarantine 
must  be  adopted.  The  hospital  should  be  quite  removed  from  the 
vicinity  of  all  other  dogs,  and  as  soon  as  the  animal  is  taken  from  the 
kennel  the  latter  should  be  thoroughly  cleansed  and  disinfected,  and 
the  other  dogs  kept  warm  and  dry,  well  fed,  and  moderately  exercised. 

Food  and  Drink — For  the  first  three  or  four  days  let  the  food  be  light 
and  easily  digested.  In  order  to  induce  the  animal  to  take  it,  it  should 
be  as  palatable  as  possible.  For  small  dogs  you  cannot  have  anything 
better  than  milk  porridge.*  At  all  events,  the  dog  must,  if  possible, 
be  induced  to  eat ;  he  must  not  be  "  horned  "  unless  there  be  great 
emaciation  ;  he  must  not  over-eat,  but  what  he  gets  must  be  good. 
As  to  drink,  dogs  usually  prefer  clean  cold  water,  and  we  cannot  do 
harm  by  mixing  therewith  a  little  plain  nitre. 

Medicine — Begin  by  giving  a  simple  dose  of  castor  oil,  just  enough 
and  no  more  than  will  clear  out  the  bowels  by  one  or  two  motions. 
Drastic  purgatives,  and  medicines  such  as  mercury,  jalap,  aloes,  and 
podophyllyn,  cannot  be  too  highly  condemned.  For  very  small 
Toy  dogs,  such  as  Italian  Greyhounds,  Yorkshire  Terriers,  etc.,  I  should 
not  recommend  even  oil  itself,  but  manna — one  drachm  to  two  drachms 
dissolved  in  milk.  By  simply  getting  the  bowels  to  act  once  or  twice, 
we  shall  have  done  enough  for  the  first  day,  and  have  only  to  make 
the  dog  comfortable  for  the  night. 

*  Oatmeal  porridge  made  with  milk  instead  of  water. 


328        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

On  the  next  day  begin  with  a  mixture  such  as  the  following  :  Solution 
of  acetate  of  ammonia,  30  drops  to  120  ;  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  15  drops 
to  60  ;  salicylate  of  soda,  2  grains  to  10.  Thrice  daily  in  a  little  camphor 
water. 

If  the  cough  be  very  troublesome  and  the  fever  does  not  run  very 
high,  the  following  may  be  substituted  for  this  on  the  second  or  third 
day :  Syrup  of  squills,  10  drops  to  60  ;  tincture  of  henbane,  10  drops 
to  60  ;  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  10  drops  to  60,  in  camphor  water. 

A  few  drops  of  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  should  be  added  to  the  dog's 
drink,  and  two  teaspoonfuls  (to  a  quart  of  water)  of  the  chlorate  of 
potash.  This  makes  an  excellent  fever  drink,  especially  if  the  dog 
can  be  got  to  take  decoction  of  barley — barley-water — instead  of  plain 
cold  water,  best  made  of  Keen  and  Robinson's  patent  barley. 

If  there  be  persistent  sickness  and  vomiting,  the  medicine  must 
be  stopped  for  a  time.  Small  boluses  of  ice  frequently  administered 
will  do  much  good,  and  doses  of  dilute  prussic  acid,  from  one  to  four 
drops  in  a  little  water,  will  generally  arrest  the  vomiting. 

If  constipation  be  present,  we  must  use  no  rough  remedies  to  get 
rid  of  it.  A  little  raw  meat  cut  into  small  pieces — minced,  in  fact — 
or  a  small  portion  of  raw  liver,  may  be  given  if  there  be  little  fever  ; 
if  there  be  fever,  we  are  to  trust  for  a  time  to  injections  of  plain  soap- 
and- water.  Diarrhoea,  although  often  a  troublesome  symptom,  is, 
it  must  be  remembered,  a  salutary  one.  Unless,  therefore,  it  becomes 
excessive,  do  not  interfere  ;  if  it  does,  give  the  simple  chalk  mixture 
three  times  a  day,  but  no  longer  than  is  needful. 

The  discharge  from  the  mouth  and  nose  is  to  be  wiped  away  with  a 
soft  rag— or,  better  still,  some  tow,  which  is  afterwards  to  be  burned — 
wetted  with  a  weak  solution  of  carbolic.  The  forehead,  eyes,  and  nose 
may  be  fomented  two  or  three  times  a  day  with  moderately  hot  water 
with  great  advantage. 

It  is  not  judicious  to  wet  a  long-haired  dog  much,  but  a  short-haired  one 
may  have  the  chest  and  throat  well  fomented  several  times  a  day,  and 
well  rubbed  dry  afterwards.  Heat  applied  to  the  chests  of  long-haired 
dogs  by  means  of  a  flat  iron  will  also  effect  good. 

The  following  is  an  excellent  tonic  :  Sulphate  of  quinine,  i  to  3  grains  ; 
powdered  rhubarb,  2  to  10  grains ;  extract  of  taraxacum,  3  to  20 
grains  ;  make  a  bolus.  Thrice  daily. 

During  convalescence  good  food,  Virol,  Spratts'  invalid  food  and 
invalid  biscuit,  moderate  exercise,  fresh  air,  and  protection  from  cold. 
These,  with  an  occasional  mild  dose  of  castor  oil  or  rhubarb,  are  to  be 
our  sheet-anchors.  I  find  no  better  tonic  than  the  tablets  of  Phos- 
ferine.  One  quarter  of  a  tablet  thrice  daily,  rolled  in  tissue  paper,  for 
a  Toy  dog,  up  to  two  tablets  for  a  dog  of  Mastiff  size. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Dogs  that  have  been  exposed  to  wet,  or  that  have  been  put  to  lie  in 
a  damp  or  draughty  kennel  with  insufficient  food,  are  not  less  liable 
than  their  masters  to  catch  a  severe  cold,  which,  if  not  promptly 
attended  to,  may  extend  downward  to  the  lining  membranes  of  bronchi 
or  lungs.  In  such  cases  there  is  always  symptoms  more  or  less  of  fever, 
with  fits  of  shivering  and  thirst,  accompanied  with  dullness,  a  tired  appear- 


AILMENTS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT  329 

ance  and  loss  of  appetite.  The  breath  is  short,  inspirations  painful,  and 
there  is  a  rattling  of  mucus  in  chest  or  throat.  The  most  prominent 
symptom,  perhaps,  is  the  frequent  cough.  It  is  at  first  dry,  ringing, 
and  evidently  painful ;  in  a  few  days,  however,  or  sooner,  it  softens, 
and  there  is  a  discharge  of  frothy  mucus  with  it,  and,  in  the  latter 
stages,  of  pus  and  ropy  mucus. 

Treatment — Keep  the  patient  in  a  comfortable,  well-ventilated 
apartment,  with  free  access  in  and  out  if  the  weather  be  dry.  Let  the 
bowels  be  freely  acted  upon  to  begin  with,  but  no  weakening  discharge 
from  the  bowels  must  be  kept  up.  After  the  bowels  have  been  moved 
we  should  commence  the  exhibition  of  small  doses  of  tartar  emetic 
with  squills  and  opium  thrice  a  day.  If  the  cough  is  very  troublesome, 
give  this  mixture  :  Tincture  of  squills,  5  drops  to  30  ;  paregoric,  10 
drops  to  60  ;  tartar  emetic,  one-sixteenth  of  a  grain  to  1  grain  ;  syrup 
and  water  a  sufficiency.  Thrice  daily. 

We  may  give  a  full  dose  of  opium  every  night.  In  mild  cases  car- 
bonate of  ammonia  may  be  tried  ;  it  often  does  good,  the  dose  being 
from  two  grains  to  ten  in  camphor  water,  or  even  plain  water. 

The  chronic  form  of  bronchitis  will  always  yield,  if  the  dog  is  young, 
to  careful  feeding,  moderate  exercise,  and  the  exhibition  of  cod-liver 
oil  with  a  mild  iron  tonic.  The  exercise,  however,  must  be  moderate, 
and  the  dog  kept  from  the  water.  A  few  drops  to  a  teaspoonful  of 
paregoric,  given  at  night,  will  do  good,  and  the  bowels  should  be  kept 
regular,  and  a  simple  laxative  pill  given  now  and  then. 

DIARRHCEA, 

or  looseness  of  the  bowels,  or  purging,  is  a  very  common  disease  among 
dogs  of  all  ages  and  breeds.  It  is,  nevertheless,  more  common  among 
puppies  about  three  or  four  months  old,  and  among  dogs  who  have 
reached  the  age  of  from  seven  to  ten  years.  It  is  often  symptomatic 
of  other  ailments. 

Causes — Very  numerous.  In  weakly  dogs  exposure  alone  will 
produce  it.  The  weather,  too,  has  no  doubt  much  to  do  with  the 
production  of  diarrhoea.  In  most  kennels  it  is  more  common  in  the 
months  of  July  and  August,  although  it  often  comes  on  in  the  very  dead 
of  winter.  Puppies,  if  overfed,  will  often  be  seized  with  this  trouble- 
some complaint.  A  healthy  puppy  hardly  ever  knows  when  it  has 
had  enough,  and  it  will,  moreover,  stuff  itself  with  all  sorts  of  garbage  ; 
acidity  of  the  stomach  follows,  with  vomiting  of  the  ingesta,  and 
diarrhoea  succeeds,  brought  on  by  the  acrid  condition  of  the  chyme, 
which  finds  its  way  into  the  duodenum.  This  stuff  would  in  itself  act 
as  a  purgative,  but  it  does  more,  it  abnormally  excites  the  secretions 
of  the  whole  alimentary  canal,  and  a  sort  of  sub-acute  mucous  in- 
flammation is  set  up.  The  liver,  too,  becomes  mixed  up  with  the 
mischief,  throws  out  a  superabundance  of  bile,  and  thus  aids  in  keeping 
up  the  diarrhrea. 

Among  other  causes,  we  find  the  eating  of  indigestible  food,  drinking 
foul  or  tainted  water,  too  much  green  food,  raw  paunches,  foul  kennels, 
and  damp,  draughty  kennels. 

Symptoms — The  purging  is,  of  course,  the  principal  symptom,  and  the 
stools  are  either  quite  liquid  or  semi-fluid,  bilious-looking,  dirty-brown 


330        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

or  clay-coloured,  or  mixed  with  slimy  mucus.  In  some  cases  they 
resemble  dirty  water.  Sometimes,  as  already  said,  a  little  blood  will 
be  found  in  the  dejection,  owing  to  congestion  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane from  liver  obstruction.  In  case  there  be  blood  in  the  stools, 
a  careful  examination  is  always  necessary  in  order  to  ascertain  the  real 
state  of  the  patient.  Blood,  it  must  be  remembered,  might  come 
from  piles  or  polypi,  or  it  might  be  dysenteric,  and  proceed  from  ulcera- 
tion  of  the  rectum  and  colon.  In  the  simplest  form  of  diarrhoea,  unless 
the  disease  continues  for  a  long  time,  there  will  not  be  much  wasting, 
and  the  appetite  will  generally  remain  good  but  capricious. 

In  bilious  diarrhoea,  with  large  brown  fluid  stools  and  complete  loss 
of  appetite,  there  is  much  thirst,  and  in  a  few  days  the  dog  gets  rather 
thin,  although  nothing  like  so  rapidly  as  in  the  emaciation  of  distemper. 
The  Treatment  will,  it  need  hardly  be  said,  depend  upon  the  cause, 
but  as  it  is  generally  caused  by  the  presence  in  the  intestine  of  some 
irritating  matter,  we  can  hardly  err  by  administering  a  small  dose 
of  castor  oil,  combining  with  it,  if  there  be  much  pain — which  you  can 
tell  by  the  animal's  countenance — from  5  to  20  or  30  drops  of  laudanum, 
or  of  the  solution  of  the  muriate  of  morphia.  This  in  itself  will  often 
suffice  to  cut  short  an  attack.  The  oil  is  preferable  to  rhubarb,  but 
the  latter  may  be  tried — the  simple,  not  the  compound  powder—dose 
from  10  grains  to  2  drachms  in  bolus. 

If  the  diarrhoea  should  continue  next  day,  proceed  cautiously — 
remember  there  is  no  great  hurry,  and  a  sudden  check  to  diarrhoea 
is  at  times  dangerous — to  administer  dog  doses  of  the  aromatic  chalk 
and  opium  powder,  or  give  the  following  medicine  three  times  a  day  : 
Compound  powdered  catechu,  1  grain  to  10 ;  powdered  chalk  with 
opium,  3  grains  to  30.  Mix.  If  the  diarrhoea  still  continues,  good 
may  accrue  from  a  trial  of  the  following  mixture  :  Laudanum,  5  to  30 
drops  ;  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  2  to  15  drops  ;  in  camphor  water. 

This  after  every  liquid  motion,  or,  if  the  motions  may  not  be  ob- 
served, three  times  a  day.  If  blood  should  appear  in  the  stools  give 
the  following  :  Kino  powder,  1  to  10  grains  ;  powder  ipecac.,  J  to  3 
grains  ;  powdered  opium  $  to  2  grains.  This  may  be  made  into  a  bolus 
with  any  simple  extract,  and  given  three  times  a  day. 

The  food  is  of  importance.  The  diet  should  be  changed  ;  the  food 
requires  to  be  of  a  non-stimulating  kind,  no  meat  being  allowed,  but 
milk  and  bread,  sago,  or  arrowroot  or  rice,  etc.  The  drink  either 
pure  water,  with  a  pinch  or  two  of  chlorate  and  nitrate  of  potash  in  it, 
or  patent  barley-water  if  the  dog  will  take  it. 

The  bed  must  be  warm  and  clean,  and  free  from  draughts,  and, 
in  all  cases  of  diarrhoea,  one  cannot  be  too  particular  with  the  cleanliness 
and  disinfection  of  the  kennels. 

CONSTIPATION, 

more  commonly  called  costiveness,  is  also  a  very  common  complaint. 
It  often  occurs  in  the  progress  of  other  diseases,  but  is  just  as  often  a 
separate  ailment. 

Perhaps  no  complaint  to  which  our  canine  friends  are  liable  is  less 
understood  by  the  non-professional  dog  doctor  and  by  dog  owners 
themselves.  Often  caused  by  weakness  in  the  coats  of  the  intestine. 


AILMENTS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT  331 

The  exhibition  of  purgatives  can  only  have  a  temporary  effect  in  reliev- 
ing the  symptoms,  and  is  certain  to  be  followed  by  reaction,  and 
consequently  by  further  debility.  Want  of  exercise  and  bath  common 
cause. 

Youatt  was  never  more  correct  in  his  life  than  when  he  said  :  "  Many 
dogs  have  a  dry  constipated  habit,  often  greatly  increased  by  the 
bones  on  which  they  are  fed.  This  favours  the  disposition  to  mange, 
etc.  It  produces  indigestion,  encourages  worms,  blackens  the  teeth  , 
and  causes  fetid  breath." 

Symptoms — The  stools  are  hard,  usually  in  large  round  balls,  and 
defecation  is  accomplished  with  great  difficulty,  the  animal  often 
having  to  try  several  times  before  he  succeeds  in  effecting  the  act,  and 
this  only  after  the  most  acute  suffering.  The  faeces  are  generally 
covered  with  white  mucus,  showing  the  heat  and  semi-dry  condition  of 
the  gut.  The  stool  is  sometimes  so  dry  as  to  fall  to  pieces  like  so 
much  oatmeal. 

There  is  generally  also  a  deficiency  of  bile  in  the  motions,  and, 
in  addition  to  simple  costiveness,  we  have  more  or  less  loss  of  appetite, 
with  a  too  pale  tongue,  dullness,  and  sleepiness,  with  slight  redness 
of  the  conjunctiva.  Sometimes  constipation  alternates  with  diarrhoea, 
the  food  being  improperly  commingled  with  the  gastric  and  other 
juices,  ferments,  spoils,  and  becomes,  instead  of  healthy  blood-produc- 
ing chyme,  an  irritant  purgative. 

Treatment — Hygienic  treatment  more  than  medicinal.  Mild  doses 
of  castor  oil,  compound  rhubarb  pill,  or  olive  oil,  may  at  first  be  neces- 
sary. Sometimes  an  enema  will  be  required  if  the  medicine  will  not  act. 

Plenty  of  exercise  and  a  swim  daily  (with  a  good  run  after  the  swim), 
or  instead  of  the  swim  a  bucket  bath — water  thrown  over  the  dog. 

Give  oatmeal,  rather  than  flour  or  fine  bread,  as  the  staple  of  his 
diet,  but  a  goodly  allowance  of  meat  is  to  be  given  as  well,  with  cabbage 
or  boiled  liver,  or  even  a  portion  of  raw  liver.  Fresh  air  and  exercise 
in  the  fields.  You  may  give  a  bolus  before  dinner,  such  as  the  follow- 
ing :  Compound  rhubarb  pill,  1  to  5  grains  ;  quinine,  $  to  2  grains  ; 
extract  of  taraxacum,  2  to  10  grains.  Mix. 

FITS. 

Whatever  be  the  cause,  they  are  very  alarming.  In  puppies  they  are 
called  CONVULSIONS,  and  resemble  epileptic  fits.  Keep  the  dog  very 
quiet,  but  use  little  force,  simply  enough  to  keep  him  from  hurting 
himself.  Keep  out  of  the  sun,  or  in  a  darkened  room.  When  he  can 
swallow  give  from  2  to  20  grains  (according  to  size)  of  bromide  of 
potassium  in  a  little  camphor  water  thrice  daily  for  a  few  days.  Only 
milk  food.  Keep  quiet. 

SKIN    DISEASES. 

In  the  whole  range  of  dog  ailments  included  in  the  term  canine 
pathology  there  are  none  more  bothersome  to  treat  successfully  nor 
more)  difficult  to  diagnose  than  those  of  the  skin.  There  are  none  either 
that  afford  the  quack  or  patent-nostrum  monger  a  larger  field  for  the 
practice  of  his  fiendish  gifts.  If  I  were  to  be  asked  the  questions, 
"  Why  do  dogs  suffer  so  much  from  skin  complaints  ?  "  and  "  Why 


332        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

does  it  appear  to  be  so  difficult  to  treat  them  ?  "  I  should  answer  the 
first  thus  :  Through  the  neglect  of  their  owners,  from  want  of  cleanli- 
ness, from  injudicious  feeding,  from  bad  kennelling,  and  from  per- 
mitting their  favourites  such  free  intercourse  with  other  members  of 
the  canine  fraternity.  Overcrowding  is  another  and  distinct  source  of 
skin  troubles. 

My  answer  to  the  second  question  is  that  the  layman  too  often  treats 
the  trouble  in  the  skin  as  if  it  were  the  disease  itself,  whereas  it  is, 
generally,  merely  a  symptom  thereof.  Examples  :  To  plaster  medi- 
cated oils  or  ointments  all  over  the  skin  of  a  dog  suffering  from  con- 
stitutional eczema  is  about  as  sensible  as  would  be  the  painting  white 
of  the  yellow  skin  in  jaundice  in  order  to  cure  the  disordered  liver. 

But  even  those  contagious  diseases  that  are  caused  by  skin  germs 
or  animalcules  will  not  be  wholly  cured  by  any  applications  whatever. 
Constitutional  remedies  should  go  hand  in  hand  with  these.  And, 
indeed,  so  great  is  the  defensive  power  of  strong,  pure  blood,  rich  in  its 
white  corpuscles  or  leucocytes,  that  I  believe  I  could  cure  even  the  worst 
forms  of  mange  by  internal  remedies,  good  food,  and  tonics,  etc., 
without  the  aid  of  any  dressing  whatever  except  pure  cold  water. 

In  treating  of  skin  diseases  it  is  usual  to  divide  them  into  three 
sections  :  (1)  The  non-contagious,  (2)  the  contagious,  and  (3)  ailments 
caused  by  external  parasites. 

(1)  THE  MOM-CONTAGIOUS. — (A)  ERYTHEMA. — This  is  a  redness,  with 
slight  inflammation  of  the  skin,  the  deeper  tissues  underneath  not  being 
involved.  Examples — That  seen  between  the  wrinkles  of  well-bred 
Pugs,  Mastiffs,  or  Bulldogs,  or  inside  the  thighs  of  Greyhounds,  etc. 
If  the  skin  breaks  there  may  be  discharges  of  pus,  and  if  the  case  is 
not  cured  the  skin  may  thicken  and  crack,  and  the  dog  make  matters 
worse  with  his  tongue. 

Treatment — Review  and  correct  the  methods  of  feeding.  A  dog 
should  be  neither  too  gross  nor  too  lean.  Exercise,  perfect  cleanliness, 
the  early  morning  sluice-down  with  cold  water,  and  a  quassia  tonic. 
He  may  need  a  laxative  as  well. 

Locally — Dusting  with  oxide  of  zinc  or  the  violet  powder  of  the 
nurseries,  a  lotion  of  lead,  or  arnica.  Fomentation,  followed  by  cold 
water,  and,  when  dry,  dusting  as  above.  A  weak  solution  of  boracic 
acid  (any  chemist)  will  sometimes  do  good. 

(B)  PRURIOO. — Itching  all  over,  with  or  without  scurf.  Sometimes 
thickening. 

Treatment — Regulation  of  diet,  green  vegetables,  fruit  if  he  will 
take  it,  brushing  and  grooming,  but  never  roughly.  Try  for  worms 
and  for  fleas. 

(c)  ECZEMA. — The  name  is  not  a  happy  one  as  applied  to  the  usual 
itching  skin  disease  of  dogs.  Eczema  proper  is  an  eruption  in  which 
the  formed  matter  dries  off  into  scales  or  scabs,  and  dog  eczema,  so- 
called,  is  as  often  as  not  a  species  of  lichen.  Then,  of  course,  it  is  often 
accompanied  with  vermin,  nearly  always  with  dirt,  and  it  is  irritated 
out  of  all  character  by  the  biting  and  scratching  of  the  dog  himself. 

Treatment — Must  be  both  constitutional  and  local.  Attend  to  the 
organs  of  digestion.  Give  a  moderate  dose  of  opening  medicine,  to  clear 
away  offending  matter.  This  simple  aperient  may  be  repeated  occasion- 


AILMENTS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT  333 

ally,  say  once  a  week,  and  if  diarrhoea  be  present  it  may  be  checked 
by  the  addition  of  a  little  morphia  or  dilute  sulphuric  acid.  Cream  of 
tartar  with  sulphur  is  an  excellent  derivative,  being  both  diuretic 
and  diaphoretic,  but  it  must  not  be  given  in  doses  large  enough  to 
purge.  At  the  same  time  we  may  give  thrice  daily  a  tonic  pill  like  the 
following  : — 

Sulphate  of  quinine,  $  to  3  grains  ;  sulphate  of  iron,  $  grain  to  5 
grains  ;  extract  of  hyoscyamus,  i  to  3  grains  ;  extract  of  taraxacum 
and  glycerine  enough  to  make  a  pill. 

Locally — Perfect  cleanliness.  Cooling  lotions  patted  on  to  the 
sore  places.  Spratts'  Cure.  (N.B. — I  know  what  every  remedy 
contains,  or  I  should  not  recommend  it.)  Benzoated  zinc  ointment 
after  the  lotion  has  dried  in.  Wash  carefully  once  a  week,  using  the 
ointment  when  skin  is  dry,  or  the  lotion  to  allay  irritation. 

(2)  CONTAGIOUS  SKIN  DISEASES. — These  are  usually  called  mange 
proper  and  follicular  mange,  or  scabies.  I  want  to  say  a  word  on  the 
latter  first.  It  depends  upon  a  microscopic  animalcule  called  the 
Acarus  folliculorum.  The  trouble  begins  by  the  formation  of  patches, 
from  which  the  hair  falls  off,  and  on  which  may  be  noticed  a  few  pimples. 
Scabs  form,  the  patches  extend,  or  come  out  on  other  parts  of  the  body, 
head,  legs,  belly,  or  sides.  Skin  becomes  red  in  white-haired  dogs. 
Odour  of  this  trouble  very  offensive.  More  pain  than  itching  seems 
to  be  the  symptomatic  rule.  Whole  body  may  become  affected. 

Treatment — Dress  the  affected  parts  twice  a  week  with  the 
following  • — 

Creosote,  2  drachms  ;  linseed  oil,  7  ounces  ;  solution  of  potash,  1 
ounce.  First  mix  the  creosote  and  oil,  then  add  the  solution  and 
shake.  Better  to  shave  the  hair  off  around  the  patches.  Kennels 
must  be  kept  clean  with  garden  soap  and  hot  water,  and  all  bedding 
burned  after  use.  From  three  months  to  six  will  be  needed  to  cure  bad 
cases. 

MANGE  PROPER  is  also  caused  by  a  parasite  or  acarus,  called  the 
Sarcops  canus.  Unlike  eczema,  this  mange  is  spread  from  dog  to  dog 
by  touch  or  intercommunication,  just  as  one  person  catches  the  itch 
from  another. 

The  Symptoms — At  first  these  may  escape  attention,  but  there  are 
vesicles  which  the  dog  scratches  and  breaks,  and  thus  the  disease  spreads. 
The  hair  gets  matted  and  falls  off.  Regions  of  the  body  most  com- 
monly affected,  head,  chest,  back,  rump,  and  extremities.  There  may 
not  be  much  constitutional  disturbance  from  the  actual  injury  to  the 
skin,  but  from  his  suffering  so  much  from  the  irritation  and  the  want  of 
rest  the  health  suffers. 

Treatment — Avoid  the  use  of  so-called  disinfectants.  Most  of  those 
sold  as  such  are  simply  deodorisers,  and,  applied  to  the  skin,  are  useless. 
Nor  are  they  of  much  use  in  cleaning  the  kennels.  Nothing  suits 
better  for  woodwork  than,  first,  carbolic  wash,  and  then  a  thorough 
scrubbing  with  hot  water  and  garden  soap. 

Some  ointment  must  be  used  to  the  skin,  and  as  I  am  writing  for 
laymen  only  I  feel  chary  in  recommending  such  strong  ones  as  the 
green  iodide  of  mercury.  If  you  do  use  it  mix  it  with  twice  its  bulk 
of  the  compound  sulphur  ointment.  Do  over  only  a  part  or  two  at 


334        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

a  time.  The  dog  to  be  washed  after  three  days.  But  the  compound 
sulphur  ointment  itself  is  a  splendid  application,  and  it  is  not  dangerous. 

(3)  SKIN  COMPLAINTS  FROM  VERMIN. — The  treatment  is  obvious — 
get  rid  of  the  cause. 

A$  their  diagnosis  is  so  difficult,  whenever  the  dog-owner  is  in  doubt, 
make  certain  by  treating  the  dog  not  only  by  local  applications  but 
constitutionally  as  well.  In  addition  to  good  diet,  perfect  cleanliness 
of  coat,  kennel,  and  all  surroundings,  and  the  application  of  the  oint- 
ment or  oil,  let  the  dog  have  all  the  fresh  air  possible,  and  exercise, 
but  never  over-exciting  or  too  fatiguing.  Then  a  course  of  arsenic 
seldom  fails  to  do  good. 

I  do  not  believe  in  beginning  the  exhibition  of  arsenic  too  soon. 
I  prefer  paying  my  first  attentions  to  the  digestive  organs  and  state  of 
the  bowels.  The  form  of  exhibition  which  1  have  found  suit  as  well  as 
any  is  the  tasteless  Liquor  arsenicalis.  It  is  easily  administered.  It 
ought  to  be  given  mixed  with  the  food,  as  it  ought  to  enter  the  blood 
with  the  chyle  from  the  diet.  It  ought,  day  by  day,  to  be  gradually, 
not  hurriedly,  increased.  Symptoms  of  loathing  of  food  and  redness 
of  conjunctiva  call  for  the  cessation  of  its  use  for  two  or  three  days  at 
least,  when  it  is  to  be  recommended  at  the  same  size  of  dose  given  when 
left  off. 

There  are  two  things  which  assist  the  arsenic,  at  least  to  go  well  with 
it ;  they  are,  iron  in  some  form  and  Virol.  The  latter  will  be  needed 
when  there  is  much  loss  of  flesh.  A  simple  pill  of  sulphate  of  iron 
and  extract  of  liquorice  may  be  used.  Dose  of  Liquor  arsenicalis 
from  1  to  6  drops  ter  die  to  commence  with,  gradually  increased  to  5 
to  20  drops. 

DANDRUFF. — A  scaly  or  scurfy  condition  of  the  skin,  with  more  or  less 
of  irritation.  It  is  really  a  shedding  of  the  scaly  epidermis  brought  on 
by  injudicious  feeding  or  want  of  exercise  as  a  primary  cause.  The 
dog,  in  cases  of  this  kind,  needs  cooling  medicines,  such  as  small  doses 
of  the  nitrate  and  chlorates  of  potash,  perhaps  less  food.  Bowels 
to  be  seen  to  by  giving  plenty  of  green  food,  with  a  morsel  of  sheep's 
melt  or  raw  liver  occasionally.  Wash  about  once  in  three  weeks,  a 
very  little  borax  in  the  last  water,  say  a  drachm  to  a  gallon.  Use 
mild  soap.  Never  use  a  very  hard  brush  or  sharp  comb.  Tar  soap 
(Wright's)  may  be  tried. 

PARASITES—INTERNAL. 
Worms. 

We  have,  roughly  speaking,  two  kinds  of  worms  to  treat  in  the  dog  : 
(1)  the  round,  and  (2)  the  tape. 

(1)  Round-worms — They  are  in  shape  and  size  not  unlike  the  garden 
worm,  but  harder,  pale,  and  pointed. 

Symptoms — Sometimes  these  are  alarming,  for  the  worm  itself 
is  occasionally  seized  with  the  mania  for  foreign  travel,  and  finds  its 
way  into  the  throat  or  nostrils,  causing  the  dog  to  become  perfectly 
furious,  and  inducing  such  pain  and  agony  that  it  may  seem  charity  to 
end  its  life.  The  worms  may  also  crawl  into  the  stomach,  and  give  rise 
to  great  irritation,  but  are  usually  dislodged  therefrom  by  the  violence 
accompanying  the  act  of  vomiting. 


AILMENTS  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT  335 

Their  usual  habitat,  however,  is  the  small  intestines,  where  they 
occasion  great  distress  to  their  host.  The  appetite  is  always  depraved 
and  voracious.  At  times  there  is  colic,  with  sickness  and  perhaps 
vomiting,  and  the  bowels  are  alternately  constipated  or  loose.  The 
coat  is  harsh  and  staring,  there  usually  is  short,  dry  cough  from  reflex 
irritation  of  the  bronchial  mucous  membrane,  a  bad-smelling  breath 
and  emaciation  or  at  least  considerable  poverty  of  flesh. 

The  disease  is  most  common  in  puppies  and  in  young  dogs.  The 
appearance  of  the  ascaris  in  the  dog's  stools  is,  of  course,  the  diagnostic 
symptom. 

Treatment — I  have  cured  many  cases  with  santonin  and  areca-nut 
powder  (betel-nut),  dose  10  grains  to  2  drachms  ;  or  turpentine,  dose 
from  10  drops  to  1$  drachms,  beaten  up  with  yolk  of  egg. 

But  areca-nut  does  better  for  tape-worm,  so  we  cannot  do  better 
than  trust  to  pure  santonin.  The  dose  is  from  1  grain  for  a  Toy  up  to 
6  grains  for  a  Mastiff.  Mix  it  with  a  little  butter,  and  stick  it  well  back 
in  the  roof  of  the  dog's  mouth.  He  must  have  fasted  previously  for 
twelve  hours,  and  had  a  dose  of  castor  oil  the  day  before.  In  four 
or  five  hours  after  he  has  swallowed  the  santonin,  let  him  have  a 
dose  of  either  olive  oil  or  decoction  of  aloes.  Dose,  2  drachms  to  2 
ounces  or  more.  Repeat  the  treatment  in  five  days.  Spratts'  cure 
may  be  safely  depended  on  for  worms.* 

The  perfect  cleanliness  of  the  kennel  is  of  paramount  importance. 

The  animal's  general  health  requires  looking  after,  and  he  may  be 
brought  once  more  into  good  condition  by  proper  food  and  a  course 
of  vegetable  tonics.  If  wanted  in  show  condition  we  have  Plasmon  to 
fall  back  upon,  and  Burroughs  and  Wellcome's  extract  of  malt. 

There  is  a  round-worm  which  at  times  infests  the  dog's  bladder,  and 
may  cause  occlusion  of  the  urethra  ;  a  whip-worm  inhabiting  the 
caecum  ;  another  may  occupy  a  position  in  the  mucous  membrane  of 
the  stomach  ;  some  infest  the  blood,  and  others  the  eye. 

(2)  Tape-worms — There  are  several  kinds,  but  the  treatment  is  the 
same  in  all  cases.  The  commonest  in  the  country  is  the  Cucumerine. 

This  is  a  tape-worm  of  about  fifteen  inches  in  average  length, 
although  I  have  taken  them  from  Newfoundland  pups  fully  thirty 
inches  long.  It  is  a  semi-tansparent  entozoon  ;  each  segment  is  long 
compared  to  its  breadth,  and  narrowed  at  both  ends.  _  Each  joint 
has,  when  detached,  an  independent  sexual  existence. 

The  dog  often  becomes  infested  with  this  parasite  from  eating  sheeps' 
brains,  and  dogs  thus  afflicted  and  allowed  to  roam  at  pleasure  over 
fields  and  hills  where  sheep  are  fed  sow  the  seeds  of  gid  in  our  flocks 
to  any  extent.  We  know  too  well  the  great  use  of  Collie  dogs  to  the 
shepherd  or  grazier  to  advise  that  dogs  should  not  be  employed  as 
assistants,  but  surely  it  would  be  to  their  owners'  advantage  to  see 
that  they  were  kept  in  a  state  of  health  and  cleanliness. 

Treatment — We  ought  to  endeavour  to  prevent  as  well  as  to  cure. 
We  should  never  allow  our  dogs  to  eat  the  entrails  of  hares  or  rabbits. 
Never  allow  them  to  be  fed  on  raw  sheep's  intestines,  nor  the  brains 
of  sheep.  Never  permit  them  to  lounge  around  butchers'  shops,  nor 

*  Many  dog  owners  swear  by  the  preparation  called  Ruby,  which  can  be 
recommended  as  a  cure  for  worms. — ED. 


336        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

eat  offal  of  any  kind.  Let  their  food  be  well  cooked,  and  their  skins 
and  kennels  kept  scrupulously  clean.  Dogs  that  are  used  for  sheep 
and  cattle  ought,  twice  a  year  at  least,  to  go  under  treatment  for  the 
expulsion  of  worms,  whether  they  are  infested  or  not ;  an  anthelmintic 
would  make  sure,  and  could  hardly  hurt  them. 

For  the  expulsion  of  tape-worms  we  depend  mostly  on  areca-nut. 
In  order  that  the  tape-worm  should  receive  the  full  benefit  of  the 
remedy,  we  order  a  dose  of  castor  oil  the  day  before  in  the  morning, 
and  recommend  no  food  to  be  given  that  day  except  beef-tea  or  mutton 
broth.  The  bowels  are  thus  empty  next  morning,  so  that  the  parasite 
cannot  shelter  itself  anywhere,  and  is  therefore  sure  to  be  acted  on. 

Infusion  of  cusco  is  sometimes  used  as  an  anthelmintic,  so  is  worm- 
wood, and  the  liquid  extract  of  male  fern,  and  in  America  spigelia  root 
and  pumpkin  seeds. 

The  best  tonic  to  give  in  cases  of  worms  is  the  extract  of  quassia. 

Extract  of  quassia,  1  to  10  grains  ;  extract  of  hyoscyamus,  t  to  5 
grains.  To  make  one  pill.  Thrice  daily. 

PARASITES.— EXTERNAL. 

Fleas. 

Washing  with  Spratts'  medicated  soap.  Extra  clean  kennels. 
Dusting  with  Keating,  and  afterwards  washing.  This  may  not  kill  the 
fleas,  but  it  drives  them  off.  Take  the  dog  on  the  grass  while  dusting, 
and  begin  along  the  spine.  Never  do  it  in  the  house. 

Ticks. 

I  have  noticed  these  disagreeable  bloodsuckers  only  on  the  heads  and 
bodies  of  sporting  or  Collie  dogs,  who  had  been  boring  for  some  time 
through  coverts  and  thickets.  They  soon  make  themselves  visible, 
as  the  body  swells  up  with  the  blood  they  suck  until  they  resemble 
small  soft  warts  about  as  big  as  a  pea.  They  belong  to  the  natural 
family,  Jxodiadae. 

Treatment — If  not  very  numerous  they  should  be  cut  off,  and  the 
part  touched  with  a  little  turps.  The  sulphuret  of  calcium  will  also 
kill  them,  so  will  the  more  dangerous  white  precipitate,  or  even  a  strong 
solution  of  carbolic  acid,  which  must  be  used  sparingly,  however. 

Lice. 

The  lice  are  hatched  from  nits,  which  we  find  clinging  in  rows,  and 
very  tenaciously  too,  to  the  hairs.  The  insects  themselves  are  more 
difficult  to  find,  but  they  are  on  puppies  sometimes  in  thousands.  To 
destroy  them  I  have  tried  several  plans.  Oil  is  very  effectual,  and  has 
safety  to  recommend  it.  Common  sweet  oil  is  as  good  a  cure  as  any, 
and  you  may  add  a  little  oil  of  anise  and  some  sublimed  sulphur,  which 
will  increase  the  effect.  Quassia  water  may  be  used  to  damp  the  coat. 
The  matted  portions  of  a  long-haired  dog's  coat  must  be  cut  off  with 
scissors,  for  there  the  lice  often  lurk.  The  oil  dressing  will  not  kill  the 
nits,  so  that  vinegar  must  be  used.  After  a  few  days  the  dressing 
must  be  repeated,  and  so  on  three  or  four  times.  To  do  any  good,  the 
whole  of  the  dog's  coat  must  be  drenched  in  oil,  and  the  dog  washed 
with  good  dog  soap  and  warm  water  twelve  hours  afterwards. 


CHAPTER  LIT 

THE  DOG  AND  THE  LAW 

PRIVILEGES    OF   FIRST    BITE 

IT  is  popularly,  but  rather  erroneously,  supposed  that  every 
dog  is  entitled  to  one  bite.  Perhaps  it  would  be  more  accurate 
to  state  that  every  dog  may  with  impunity  have  one  snap  or 
one  intended  bite,  but  only  dogs  of  hitherto  irreproachable 
character  are  permitted  the  honour  of  a  genuine  tasteful  bite. 

Once  a  dog,  however,  has  displayed  dangerous  propensities, 
even  though  he  has  never  had  the  satisfaction  of  effecting  an 
actual  bite,  and  once  his  owner  or  the  person  who  harbours 
him  becomes  aware  of  these  evil  inclinations  (scienter)  either 
of  his  own  knowledge  or  by  notice,  the  Law  looks  upon  such 
dog  as  a  dangerous  beast  which  the  owner  keeps  at  his  peril. 

The  onus  of  proof  is  on  the  victim  to  show  that  the  owner 
had  previous  knowledge  of  the  animal's  ferocity,  though  in 
reality  very  little  evidence  of  scienter  is  as  a  rule  required, 
and  notice  need  not  necessarily  be  given  directly  to  the  owner, 
but  to  any  person  who  has  charge  of  the  dog. 

The  person  attacked  has  yet  another  remedy.  He  can,  if 
he  is  able,  kill  the  dog  before  it  can  bite  him,  but  he  is  not 
justified  in  shooting  the  animal  as  it  runs  away,  even  after 
being  bitten. 

By  28  and  29  Viet.,  c.  60,  the  owner  of  a  dog  which  attacks 
sheep  or  cattle — and  cattle  includes  horses — is  responsible  for 
all  damage,  and  there  is  no  necessity  to  prove  previous  evil 
propensities.  This  Act  is  wholly  repealed  by  the  Act  called 
the  Dogs'  Act,  1906,  which  came  into  force  on  January  ist, 
1907,  but  the  new  Act  re-enacts  the  section  having  reference 
to  damage  to  cattle,  and  says  that  in  such  cases  it  is  not 
w  337 


338        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM. 

necessary  for  the  persons  claiming  damages  to  show  a  previous 
mischievous  propensity  in  the  dog  or  the  owner's  knowledge 
of  such  previous  propensity  or  to  show  that  the  injury  was 
attributable  to  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  owner ;  the  word 
"  cattle  "  includes  horses,  asses,  sheep,  goats,  and  swine. 

The  Law  looks  upon  fighting  between  dogs  as  a  natural 
and  necessary  incident  in  the  career  of  every  member  of  the 
canine  race,  and  gives  no  redress  to  the  owner  of  the  vanquished 
animal,  provided  the  fight  was  a  fair  one,  and  the  contestants 
appear  to  consider  it  so.  The  owner,  however,  of  a  peaceably 
disposed  dog  which  is  attacked  and  injured,  or  killed,  by  one 
savage  and  unrestrained,  has  a  right  of  action  against  the 
owner  of  the  latter.  The  owner  of  the  peaceably  disposed 
animal  may  justifiably  kill  the  savage  brute  in  order  to  save 
his  dog,  but  he  must  run  the  risk  of  being  able  to  prove  that 
this  was  the  only  means  of  putting  a  stop  to  the  fight. 

LICENCES 

Every  dog  owner  must  annually  take  out  a  licence  for  each 
dog  he  keeps.  The  licence,  which  is  obtainable  at  all  post- 
offices  at  the  cost  of  75.  6d.,  is  dated  to  run  from  the  hour 
it  is  taken  out  until  the  following  3ist  December.  The 
person  in  whose  custody  or  upon  whose  premises  the  dog  is 
found  will  be  deemed  its  owner  until  proved  otherwise. 

The  owners  of  certain  dogs  for  certain  purposes  are,  however, 
exempted  from  taking  out  licences,  viz.  :  (i)  Dogs  under  the 
age  of  six  months  ;  (2)  hounds  under  twelve  months  old  neither 
used  nor  hunted  with  the  pack,  provided  that  the  Master  has 
taken  out  proper  licences  for  all  hounds  entered  in  the  pack ; 
(3)  one  dog  kept  and  used  by  a  blind  person  solely  for  his  or 
her  guidance  ;  (4)  dogs  kept  and  used  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
tending  sheep  or  cattle  or  in  the  exercise  of  the  occupation 
or  calling  of  a  shepherd. 

MUZZLING    REGULATIONS 

Under  the  Contagious  Diseases  (Animals)  Acts,  1878-1894, 
local  authorities  (i.e.,  county,  borough,  or  district  councils) 


THE  DOG  AND  THE   LAW  339 

were  empowered  to  issue  orders  regulating  the  muzzling  of 
dogs  in  public  places  and  the  keeping  of  dogs  under  control 
(otherwise  than  by  muzzling) .  Offenders  under  these  Acts  are 
liable  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  £20. 

The  Statute  57  and  58  Viet.,  c.  57,  gives  the  Board  of 
Agriculture  power  to  make  orders  for  muzzling  dogs,  keeping 
them  under  control,  and  the  detention  and  disposal  of  stray 
dogs  ;  and  section  2  of  the  Dogs  Act,  1906  (known  by  some 
as  the  Curfew  Bell  Act),  says  that  the  Diseases  of  Animals 
Act,  1894,  shall  have  effect : 

(a)  For  prescribing  and  regulating  the  wearing  by  dogs 
while  in  a  highway  or  in  a  place  of  public  resort  of  a  collar 
with  the  name  and  address  of  the  owner  inscribed  on  the 
collar  or  on  a  plate  or  badge  attached  thereto  : 

(b)  With  a  view  to  the  prevention  of  worrying  of  cattle 
for  preventing  dogs  or  any  class  of  dogs  from  straying  during 
all  or  any  of  the  hours  between  sunset  and  sunrise. 

STRAY  DOGS 

The  Dogs  Act,  1906,  has  some  important  sections  dealing 
with  seizure  of  stray  dogs,  and  enacts  that  where  a  police 
officer  has  reason  to  believe  that  any  dog  found  in  a  highway 
or  place  of  public  resort  is  a  stray  dog,  he  may  seize  and 
retain  it  until  the  owner  has  claimed  it  and  paid  all  expenses 
incurred  by  reason  of  its  detention.  If  the  dog  so  seized  wears 
a  collar  on  which  is  the  address  of  any  person,  or  if  the  owner 
of  the  dog  is  known,  then  the  chief  officer  of  police  or  some 
person  authorised  by  him  in  that  behalf  shall  serve  on  either 
such  person  a  notice  in  writing  stating  that  the  dog  has  been 
seized,  and  will  be  sold  or  destroyed  if  not  claimed  within  seven 
clear  days  of  the  service  of  the  notice. 

Failing  the  owner  putting  in  an  appearance  and  paying  all 
expenses  of  detention  within  the  seven  clear  days,  then  the 
chief  officer  of  police  or  any  person  authorised  by  him  may 
cause  the  dog  to  be  sold,  or  destroyed  in  a  manner  to  cause  as 


340        DOGS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

little  pain  as  possible.  The  police  must  keep  a  proper  register 
of  all  dogs  seized,  and  every  such  register  shall  be  open  to 
inspection  at  all  reasonable  times  by  any  member  of  the 
public  on  payment  of  a  fee  of  one  shilling,  and  the  police  may 
transfer  such  dog  to  any  establishment  for  the  reception  of 
stray  dogs,  but  only  if  there  is  a  proper  register  kept  at  such 
establishment  open  to  inspection  by  the  public  on  payment 
of  a  fee  not  exceeding  one  shilling. 

Another  section  enacts  that  any  person  who  takes  possession 
of  a  stray  dog  shall  forthwith  either  return  the  dog  to 
its  owner  or  give  notice  in  writing  to  the  chief  officer  of 
police  of  the  district  where  the  dog  was  found,  contain- 
ing a  description  of  the  dog  and  stating  the  place  where 
the  dog  was  found,  and  the  place  where  he  is  being  detained, 
and  any  person  failing  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this 
section  shall  be  liable  on  conviction  under  the  Summary 
Jurisdiction  Acts  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  forty  shillings. 

IMPORTATION    OF    DOGS 

The  power  of  making  Orders  dealing  with  the  importation  of 
dogs  is  vested  in  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  who  have  absolute 
authority  in  the  matter. 

The  initial  step  to  be  taken  by  a  person  wishing  to  import 
any  dog  into  Great  Britain  from  any  other  country  excepting 
Ireland,  the  Channel  Islands,  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  is  that  he 
must  fill  up  an  application  form  to  the  said  Board,  which  he 
has  previously  obtained  from  them,  in  which  he  applies  for  a 
licence  to  land  the  dog  under  the  conditions  imposed  by  the 
Board,  which  he  undertakes  to  obey. 

On  the  form  he  has  to  give  a  full  description  of  the  dog,  the 
name  and  address  of  the  owner,  the  proposed  port  of  landing, 
and  the  approximate  date  of  landing,  and  further  from 
lists  which  he  will  receive  from  the  Board  he  must  select 
the  carrying  agents  he  proposes  should  superintend  the 
movement  of  the  dog  from  the  port  of  landing  to  the 
place  of  detention,  and  also  the  premises  of  a  veterinary 


THE   DOG  AND  THE  LAW  341 

surgeon  on  which  he  proposes  the  dog  shall  be  detained  and 
isolated  as  required  by  the  Order.  An  imported  dog  must 
be  landed  and  taken  to  its  place  of  detention  in  a  suitable 
box,  hamper,  crate  or  other  receptacle,  and  as  a  general  rule 
has  to  remain  entirely  isolated  for  a  period  of  six  months. 

MOTOR    CARS   AND   DOGS 

Unquestionably  the  greatest  enemy  that  the  dog  possesses 
at  the  present  time  is  the  motor  car. 

Presuming  the  owner  of  the  dog  is  fortunate  enough  to 
know  whose  car  it  was  that  ran  over  his  dog,  and  to  have  some 
evidence  of  excessive  or  unreasonable  speed  or  other  negligence 
on  the  part  of  the  car  driver  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  he 
will  find  the  law  ever  ready  to  assist  him.  A  dog  has  every  bit 
as  much  right  to  the  high  road  as  a  motor  car.  Efforts  have 
been  made  on  the  part  of  motor  owners  to  get  the  Courts  to 
hold  that  dogs  on  a  high  road  are  only  under  proper  control 
if  on  a  "  lead,"  and  that  if  they  are  not  on  a  "  lead  "  the 
owner  of  them  is  guilty  of  negligence  in  allowing  his  dog  to 
stroll  about,  and  therefore  is  not  entitled  to  recover :  such 
efforts  have  not  been  successful.  Even  supposing  a  Court 
to  hold  that  the  fact  of  a  dog  being  loose  in  this  way  or  unac- 
companied was  evidence  of  negligence  against  his  owner  this 
would  by  no  means  defeat  his  owner's  claim,  for  the  law  is, 
that  though  a  plaintiff  may  have  been  negligent  in  some  such 
way  as  this,  yet  if  the  defendant  could,  by  the  exercise  of 
reasonable  care,  have  avoided  the  accident,  the  plaintiff 
can  still  recover.  There  are  several  cases  that  decide  this 
valuable  principle. 


INDEX 


AIREDALE  TERRIER   ... 

PACK 
...           219 

DACHSHUND     

PACE 

...           I76 

Assyrian   Sculpture  and 

Dog  2,  108 

Dalmatian       

...        49 

Mastiff    ...        „. 

...    3*  10 

Dandie  Dinmont 

...      25^ 

Deerhound 

QC 

BASSET-HOUND 

...       172 

Diarrhoea        

:7J 

329 

Beagle 

124. 

TN*     A 

J      :7 

Bedl  in  gton  Terrier     ... 

...      226 

Distemper        

».       325 

Bible,  Dog  in  The      ... 

...  3,  108 

ENGLISH  TERRIER,  White 

191 

Black  and  Tan  Terrier 
Blenheim  Spaniel 
Bloodhound     

•••      195 

...      280 
80 

English  Water  Spaniel 
Egypt,  Dog  in 

.»       153 

2,    108 

Borzoi              ... 

.  .         IOI 

TTtr  I?  T^I  vr* 

->   T    ~ 

i  ttttDirto             •••          ••• 

3*5 

Breeding  : 

Field  Spaniel  

».       159 

Bulldog        
Newfoundland 

25 
...        42 

First  Bite,  Privileges  of 
Fits 

•••      337 

Borzoi          

104,  106 

Fleas    

n6 

Dachshund 
Smooth  Fox-terrier 

179 

211 

Fox  as  progenitor  of  the 

Dog        5 

Dandie  Dinmont    ... 

257 

Foxhound 

...       118 

King  Charles  Spaniel 
General  Notes 

...       285 
...       316 

Fox-terrier,  Smooth  ... 
Wire-hair 

...      203 

212 

Bronchitis        

...       328 

Brussels  Griffon 

...      301 

GREAT  DANE  

44 

Bulldog           

17 

Greeks,  Dogs  and  Ancient, 

3,  108,  271 

Miniature 

29 

Greyhound      

...       108 

French    ... 

30 

Italian    

307 

Bull-terrier      

...       199 

Toy 

...       306 

HARRIER         

...       123 

CHOW  CHOW  

...        67 

IMPORTATION  OF  DOGS 

...      340 

Clumber  Spaniel 

...       154 

Irish  Terrier    

...      229 

Clydesdale   Terrier   ... 

...       264 

Irish  Water  Spaniel  ... 

...       150 

Cocker  Spaniel 

...       167 

Italian  Greyhound    ... 

...      307 

Collie    

S^ 

Constipation  ... 

•••       330 

JACKAL  AS  PROGENITOR  OF 

DOG       5 

Coursing          

...       109 

Japanese  Spaniel 

...      292 

342 


INDEX 


343 


PAGE 
KENNELS  AND  THEIR  MANAGEMENT  313 

King  Charles  Spaniel 

...       278 

LABRADOR,  THE 

140,  146 

Law,  Dog  and  the   ... 

337 

Licences           

...       338 

MALTESE  DOG 

296 

Manchester  Terrier    ... 

195 

Miniature 

3°5 

Mange... 

Mastiff,  Assyrian 

J33 
...    3,  10 

English  ...         ...  — 

10 

Miniature  Breeds  : 

Bulldog        
French  Bulldog 
Poodle         

29 
30 
7c 

Pomeranian 

/  o 

277 

Black  and  Tan  Terrier 

/  / 

^O^ 

Toy  Bull-terrier     ... 
Italian  Greyhound 

«J       +J 

306 
3O7 

Shetland  Sheepdog 

«J        / 

...         308 

Motor  Cars  and  Dogs 

341 

Muzzling  Regulations 

•••      339 

NEWFOUNDLAND 

...        38 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  DOG  ... 

I 

Otterhound     

86 

PEKINESE         

...       288 

Phoenicians,  and  Dogs 

3 

Pointer            

127 

Pomeranian     

...       271 

Poodle             

70 

—  Toy  White 

75 

Primitive  Man  and  Dog 

i 

Pug 

Puppies,  Treatment  of: 

290 

Mastiff          

IA 

Bulldog        

...        It 

Newfoundland 

41 

Great  Dane 

1  J 

4S 

Old  English  Sheepdog 

T-J 

...           64 

fj 

Puppies,  Treatment  of—  continued  : 


Borzoi 

Dachshund 

King  Charles  Spaniel 

Pekinese       

Brussels  Griffon      ... 

General  Notes 
RETRIEVER,  Flat-Coated 

Curly      

Rome,  Dogs  and  Ancient 

SAMOYEDE       ..; 

Schipperke       

Scottish  Terrier 
Setter,  English 

Irish        

Black  and  Tan 

Sheepdog,  Old  English 
Shetland  Sheepdog... 
Skin  Diseases 

Skye  Terrier 

Spaniel  Family,  The 
Spaniel,  Irish  Water... 

English 

Clumber 

Sussex     

Field       

English  Springer 

Welsh  Springer 

Cocker 

King  Charles    ... 

Springer,  English 

Welsh     

St.  Bernard 

Stray  Dogs     

Sussex  Spaniel 

TERRIER,  Old  Working 
White  English... 
Black  and  Tan 

Bull-       

Smooth  Fox-  ... 
Wire-hair  Fox- 
Airedale... 
Bedlington 


73 
105 


294 
302 
321 

139 
144 

3 

271 

77 
240 

13* 

J34 

136 

60 

308 

33i 
258 
148 

150 
153 
'54 
156 
159 


164 
165 
32 
339 
156 


191 

195 
199 
203 

212 
219 
226 


344 


INDEX 


Terrier,  Irish 

Welsh     .; 

Scottish 

West  Highland  White 

Dandie  Dinmont 

Skye,  and  Clydesdale 

Yorkshire          ...      '..., 

Toy  Dogs: 
Pomeranian  ... 

Poodle,  White       

King  Charles  Spaniel 
Pekinese  and  Japanese    ... 

Maltese  and  Pug 

Brussels  Griffon 


PACK 

229 
236 
240 
246 

253 
258 
266 


271 

75 
278 
289 
296 
301 


Toy  Dogs — continued  : 
Miniature   Black  and  Tan, 
Bull-terrier,  Italian  Grey- 
hound     and      Shetland 
Sheepdog  


305 


WATERLOO  CUP        ...        ...  109 

Welsh  Terrier 236 

West  Highland  White  Terrier    246 

Whippet          113 

Wolf  as  progenitor  of  Dog      5,    6 

Wolfhound,  Irish      90 

Russian  (Borzoi)          ...  101 

Worms,  Treatment  for         ...  334 

YORKSHIRE  TERRIER  266 


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